Moonless Sky's Touch
by Datenshii
Summary: With his friends and family dead, and Aizen defeated, Ichigo is left with no will to live. He receives the Soul Queen's help and goes back in time, to stop the war from happening. However, his adventure is full of ups and downs, and he finds himself with new challenges, one of them being taming his brash, younger self! Time-travel. IchiRuki.
1. Prologue

**Welcome to my new story! This time, I don't believe there will be too many OCs, but if there will be, they won't have a very significant role. Well then, this is a time-travel fic, so I hope I don't confuse too many people with the way I write the past. There will be IchiRuki, but this story is not entirely romance, so don't expect too much of that. Still, I will try to write mushy moments, to satisfy our perverted pleasures.**

**Author: Datenshii**

**Genre: Adventure/Friendship**

**Rate: T, because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: IchiRuki, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

Moonless Sky's Touch

Prologue

It is said that only the strongest know what pain is. They know, because that's what drives them to become strong.

So then, after all the pain that Ichigo had experienced, why couldn't he be strong enough?

This lone thought occupied Kurosaki Ichigo's mind, as he watched Aizen's struggling form after he experienced said substitute shinigami's Mugetsu technique. Seeing that the madman was still trying to get up, he shunpoed next to him and watched if he would be back to fighting, an idea that horrified him. After a few seconds though, the brown-haired transcender's arms gave out under him, and he fell back, eyes lifeless and our hero sighed in relief.

Finally, he had defeated Aizen. He sacrificed his powers, and with them his partners, his hollow and his Zanpakutou, to end the Winter War. After much spilled blood and many fallen warriors, it was over. He could finally rest easily. Perhaps, he could go check on his f-

_His friends._

Ichigo's now-red eyes widened in shock as he realized what he was thinking about. He couldn't check on his friends. No, he couldn't, because they were dead.

This brought him back to the main question of his life. What was he supposed to do now? He failed to protect Inoue, who was killed by the two female arrancar while he was fighting Ulquiorra, which made him go insane with sorrow and turn hollow. Renji and Ishida also got killed by Szayel Aporro in their fight, because the captains arrived too late. Eventually, Chad also died, because Unohana-san got there too late and couldn't do anything to save him. Most of the captains in the living world, including Sui-feng, Toushiro, Ukitake-san and Gramps also died during their fights.

He cringed when he remembered the sight of a lone, injured Kyoraku-san left to pick up the remains of Gotei 13.

Many of the vizard also got either injured or killed, dragging down with them many of the arrancar. His old man and Yoruichi-san died trying to stall Aizen, and Urahara-san was forced to pass on the secret of the Final Getsuga Tensho to Ichigo in Isshin's place. His human friends were already dead by the time he reached the real Karakura Town. He was forced to watch his sisters' lifeless, shocked expression, eyes wide open, as he still had to defeat Aizen.

In the end, no matter how human Ichigo could be, he couldn't forgive Aizen for what he did to his loved ones.

If only Rukia could see him right now. She'd certainly beat him up for sulking. If only she were alive.

Thinking about her, he raised his head to stare at the sky. The dark clouds were glaring at him, as if blaming him for so many people's deaths. Dark clouds reminded him of her icy blade. How she wielded her pure Sode no Shirayuki with so much grace, that she looked like she was dancing.

Rukia…

His knees gave up and he collapsed on them, still staring at the sky. Soon, little drops of rain fell on his face. Those drops turned in a full-blown rain, soaking his long, black hair and grey bandages. He smiled bitterly when he realized that probably the sky was crying for his loss.

Unable to contain it any longer, Ichigo clenched his teeth as he lowered his head, and hot tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Why… Why did they have to die…? Why was I so weak? Why?" He murmured to himself.

His hands clenched into fists so hard, that his nails dug into his skin and drew blood. Shakily, he tilted his head back, and he gave out a pained roar, "_Why?_!"

His mind was numb, his skin cold. He sat there, and cried it all out, not realizing that he had yet to lose his powers, neither that a bright light was heading towards him.

Suddenly, he was brought back to reality when he felt something warm touch his cheek. His eyes snapped open. There stood a woman, dressed in a long, white robe, with long, golden hair flowing out behind her.

Seeing his shocked expression, she simply smiled sadly. "I think that you've suffered long enough, my child. You deserve so much more than this. What do you wish for?" She said gently.

As surprised as he was, Ichigo found himself pondering his answer. Finally, he answered. "I- I wish for a chance to go back and stop this war." His eyes stared at the woman, burning with determination.

She smiled proudly. "So it shall be done."

And that was the last thing he remembered, before darkness engulfed him.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Alright, prologue, done. Now, I just gotta figure out how to piece the next chapter, then maybe write chapter ten for my other fic.**

**PS: I will still write Moonlight, for those who read it. I just don't have any ideas right now.**

**Coming next, on MST -Moonless Sky's Touch...**

**_Ichigo finds himself in the past, but he has to hide himself from those he wants to protect! Find out why and how he is going to do this._**

**Remember, reviews help me write what you people enjoy and correct my mistakes. Still, please no flames if things don't turn out how you want them. See ya!**

**-Datenshii**


	2. The Arrival Arc: Chapter One

**Hey! I'm back with a new chapter, and the beginning of the first arc, The Arrival. I was positively surprised to find so many reviews already. For me, it's much, so don't judge me :P.**

**Thank you for appreciating my work! Here are a few explanations for some.**

**Prince of Havok: Thanks for not judging! True to the fact, in this chapter you will not be disappointed (I hope).**

**MugetsuIchigo: Questions about the woman's identity are being asked in this chapter. You will see why. Also, she will be revealed in later chapters, I don't know if in this arc.**

**bleachfan1015: I love IchiYoru, and Yoruichi is a great character in my opinion. I hold her in high regard. Even so, I decided to give IchiRuki a first try at writing, but she will have an important role in this story, as a close friend and mentor of Ichigo.**

**27kirune: It might not turn out as you want it to, but I hope you'll like my idea. Mugetsu will not fuse with Ichigo (at least not now, but I'm not confirming anything). This story won't have lemons, for the simple fact that I suck at it and I wouldn't want to ruin it, but light romance will be present and hints, too. As well as Yoru-chan's, Urahara's and Isshin's devious -cough- pervert -cough- minds.**

**Rate: T, **** because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: IchiRuki, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

Moonless Sky's Touch

First Arc – The Arrival

Chapter One – Building the path

Numb.

Why was everything so… numb?

Aizen… He defeated Aizen… Friends… Old man, Yuzu, Karin, all dead…

The war had ended. It rained… And he cried. Then, what?

His head was throbbing as he was trying to recall what had happened and help himself come back to reality.

There was this woman… Wait…

Suddenly, his eyes split wide open and he found himself lying on the grassy ground of a park. He was back in Karakura Town.

"What… the Hell?" He uttered confusedly. Last time he checked he was outside Karakura and there was this blonde lady… She had this strange, but kind aura about her that gave him no room for resistance. He told her he wished to go back in time. But she couldn't have fulfilled his wish, could she?

'As a matter of fact, she did,' a young, male voice said clearly in his head. Ichigo's eyes widened, again.

'_Z-Zangetsu?!'_ Ichigo thought in shock.

He thought he felt his Zanpakutou smiling, but waved it off. 'Tensa Zangetsu, but, nevertheless, yes,' Tensa replied amusedly.

'**Oi, ya shitty King, don't ya dare forget 'bout me!'** His hollow yelled in annoyance. Ichigo's eyebrow twitched.

'_Can't really say I missed you too much, hollow,'_ He replied half-heartedly.

The hollow mock-gasped, **'How dare ya! After all we've done for ya; ya can't even admit you missed my heart-warming presence. Traitor!'**

Ichigo chose to ignore him this time. _'Z-Tensa, I'm sorry for having to use that technique. I'm sorry I chose to abandon you two, but I couldn't bring myself to risk anyone's life anymore. In the end, I couldn't save anyone,'_ He explained bitterly.

The Zanpakutou scowled. 'There's no use brooding over the past. Right now, it seems as if we were given a second chance,' He said calmly.

With this, the shinigami was brought back to reality. _'About that… Who the Hell was that woman? To be able to keep my powers…'_ He mumbled in confusion.

'**Does that even matter? What matters, is that we're freaking back and ye're still a freaking shinigami, which means she could have made yer wish come true. And that, means that we might have gone back in time,'** the hollow said.

Tensa Zangetsu nodded. 'He's right, Ichigo, we should check if we have really time-travelled.'

Ichigo agreed. He stood there a few seconds, trying to figure out in which part of the Karakura he was, then he shunpoed his way towards the Urahara Shoten. It was night, so he could easily travel over buildings without worrying that someone with spiritual pressure might notice him.

In no more than two minutes, he traveled half the city and reached his destination. Taking a deep breath, and mentally praying, he prepared to knock on the double door, when he suddenly felt a high spiritual pressure appear.

Glancing back at the Urahara Shoten, he shook his head and headed for the source of the spiritual pressure. It seemed familiar, but since he always sucked at sensing reiatsu, he couldn't figure out who it was.

Soon, he landed in a tree near a dimly-lit street. '_Wait, this is where I…'_

"Don't move!"

Ichigo's eyes widened. He turned to look at the owner of the voice.

"Rukia…" He whispered brokenly. '_She's alive… She's really alive!'_

There stood Rukia, dressed in his sister's dress, eyes full of tears, half-way turning to look at…

Himself.

'_What… the… fuck!' _Ichigo thought as he stared, jaw slack. It truly was him, lying on the ground, garbed in shinigami outfit, with a mop of orange hair on the top of his head. He shivered involuntarily. It felt really weird to see himself, without looking in a mirror.

'Figures. We've only been sent here. Doesn't really mean we're part of this realm,' Tensa muttered.

Also there was Byakuya and Renji… This was just before Rukia was taken back to the Soul Society!

'_Maybe I can stop them from taking her! But how do I do that without shocking pretty much everyone? I mean, it must be weird to see a clone of someone suddenly appear next to said someone,' _He rambled.

'**In case ya haven't noticed, ye're still in Getsuga form, so that might just work out for you,'** His hollow helped.

True to the fact, when Ichigo glanced at himself, he saw the grey bandages and tattered, flaring black pants. While he could stay and ponder over why he hadn't lost his powers and gone back to being orange-haired, he decided that he could figure that out later.

So, having made up his mind, Ichigo shunpoed towards the unaware shinigamis.

Byakuya was just about to tell Renji to open the Senkaimon, when he suddenly felt a new presence appear behind him. Turning around, he noticed a strange male, with long, black hair, red eyes and dressed in grey bandages and ripped hakama.

"Who are you? And why are you here?" He asked unflinchingly. Next to him, Rukia stared at the intruder in shock, and with traces of fear. This stranger didn't seem to have any spiritual pressure, so why was he here, staring at them?

The stranger stared at Byakuya for a second, glanced at Rukia, and then turned back to Byakuya. "I am Mugetsu, why I am here does not matter. What matters, is finding out how I managed to outdo you and how to get Rukia back," The black-haired man said, his strong, masculine voice sounding clearly despite his face being covered.

That being said, Mugetsu suddenly disappeared, quickly grabbing Rukia by the waist, then throwing Ichigo over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and headed for the Urahara Shoten.

…

Rukia blinked as she took in her surroundings. She was at the Urahara Shoten! How the hell did they get here so fast?

Mugetsu put Rukia down, but still didn't let go of her shoulder, "I know you have many questions, but just… If I let go of you, don't run away. I can help you," He whispered.

She was still suspicious of him and shocked that they managed to escape her Nii-sama, but decided to trust his words, for now. So she nodded. The man let go of her shoulder and banged his hand on the Shoten's double door, only to hit a shocked Urahara Kisuke's forehead.

Mugetsu quickly drew his hand back. "Sorry about that. Now, instead of having to go find Ichigo on your own, I brought him to you, so mind letting us in? We're kinda in a hurry."

Kisuke took one more moment to stare in shock at Mugetsu, then at Rukia, then at the bloodied Ichigo. Deciding that they had time for discussions later, he let the three in then quickly closed the doors and locked them.

"Tessai!" The shopkeeper called. He glanced at the black-haired man. "Please hand Kurosaki-san to my assistant and follow me."

Mugetsu nodded, handing his past-self over to the Kido expert, then following Urahara towards his 'meeting room'.

Seating themselves at the table, Mugetsu prepared himself for any questions that would be thrown at him. He decided that, since these were two of his closest friends, namely his mentor and his best friend, he couldn't really lie to them, so he would answer anything that they would ask him, without adding information that wasn't requested, so that he wouldn't change the timeline too much. With a mental sigh, he realized that it was already pretty much messed up because of his saving Rukia.

"Who are you?" Rukia asked. Mugetsu mentally smirked. Pretty blunt…

"As I have already told your older brother, I am Mugetsu," He replied smoothly.

Rukia didn't seem to like his answer, as her eye twitched. Urahara decided to take over, "She asked for your real name."

"My real name isn't gonna help you in any way, and I don't have the expenses to reveal it to you, but I will tell you, one day. After this whole Aizen shit is over," The black-haired male said bitterly.

Rukia's eyes widened. "Are you talking about Aizen Sousuke? The taichou of the fifth division? What does he have to do with all this?" She said, staring in shock.

Mugetsu sighed. "Might as well tell you the entire story… Look, Rukia, Aizen is not who he seems to be. He was going to betray the Soul Society after he took out an important tool that was placed inside your soul, the Hougyoku," He explained.

In less than a second, Kisuke was pointing the tip of Benihime, who was in Shikai, at the stranger's neck. "How do you know about the Hougyoku?" He asked harshly.

Mugetsu stared at him, unblinking. Then, he pushed the blade away with one finger. "Do not threaten me, Urahara-san. I am on your side, rest assured," He said.

Urahara stood there, staring at this… alien with newfound awe. Suddenly, the 'alien' continued, "Please remove the Hougyoku from Rukia's soul. I am going to dispose of Aizen, before he finds out that she no longer holds it," Said 'alien' continued.

Sighing, Urahara sheathed his Zanpakutou and sat back. He raised a hand to rub his nose bridge in distress. "You save these two, and then you reveal that you know quite a deal about our situation, including classified information, and then you push aside my blade like it was made of feathers. I don't know whether to trust you or to grab Kuchiki-san here and run for it," He said wearily. Urahara was a great strategist, almost everyone who has heard of him knew, so for him to get lost on what to do was catastrophic.

Mugetsu gave a small smile, though they couldn't see it through the bandages. "Urahara-san, I am willing to put my head on a silver plate, if that's what's necessary for you to accept my help. I wish I could tell you more about myself, but there are certain circumstances that do not allow me to do so. When I will be able to, though, I will tell you. But for the moment, I only ask that you listen to my advice, because if you do not, I am afraid that the people involved will have to suffer for our mistakes," He explained, bowing his head after doing so. "Will you?"

Rukia, who for a while now had been shocked into silence, bit her lip to contain her horror and spoke. "You have my trust, Mugetsu. I don't know if this is foolish, but for now I choose to trust you," She said tiredly.

Urahara glanced at her, and sighed. Again. "I will trust you. Don't make me regret my decision," He demanded.

Mugetsu nodded. "Alright then, since Rukia has not been taken to the Soul Society, she will not reach Sokyoku hill to be executed, and Aizen will not have the chance to grab the Hougyoku and retreat to Hueco Mundo. Train Ichigo, and when he is ready, we will leave for the Soul Society and I will take down Aizen myself. However, I want you to take the Hougyoku out of Rukia, since it is only bringing trouble to her person. I will help you find a way to get rid of it once and for all," He explained his plan to the ex-captain.

Even if mildly surprised at the information the man knew, Kisuke nodded. "I suppose it could work. But how are you so sure you will be able to defeat him?" He asked.

The black-haired male scowled. "I already did it once. I can do it one more time."

At this, the shopkeeper's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Rukia stared blankly at the table for a few seconds, then looked at Mugetsu. "Something's bothering me," She said simply. Mugetsu stared at her, waiting for her question. "Why is Aizen doing all this? I mean, he seems really powerful already, much more so than the captains, so then why go to such lengths to achieve this item?"

Urahara's expression turned somber, and the stranger's brows furrowed. Finally, said stranger spoke up. "Hougyoku is a tool that can grant one's heart's desires. It can create, morph, improve and fool. Aizen believes that the Seireitei and its rulers, the Royal Family, have a corrupt way of ruling the afterlife. So he wishes to kill the Spirit King and practically become God," He explained. The petite shinigami's eyes widened.

Kisuke shook his head. "Mad, mad man. I'm glad I faced reality and abandoned such thoughts," He muttered.

Mugetsu chuckled, "Me too. I wouldn't be able to defeat him if you wouldn't have done so." And once again, Urahara found himself perplexed.

As he brushed off any more thoughts about this man's past, the ex-captain looked at Mugetsu. "It's been a long night. I suggest getting a bit of sleep. Tomorrow I plan to take out the Hougyoku, and maybe start Kurosaki-san's training. Do you have a place to spend the night at, Mugetsu-san?" Said man shook his head. "Alright, follow me to your room." Finishing their conference, they stood and Kisuke guided them through his residence.

…

Rukia sighed as she walked back to her room after having changed in a white yukata. _Today has been a very stressing day, _she thought. _First off, I almost got arrested by Nii-sama and Renji. Ichigo got critically injured, Mugetsu saved our asses. And then there was the recent discussion._ Sighing, she put away those frustrating thoughts and decided to have a nice rest.

When she entered the room, she was surprised to find Mugetsu dressed in a similar white yukata, taking off his bandages. Her eyes widened and she stopped in her tracks.

He did not seem to notice her as he slowly unwrapped his 'mask', revealing a masculine, well-defined face structure, with high cheek-bones and a sharp chin. His long, unruly black hair had been tied in a low ponytail, so she could now clearly see the broadness of his shoulders. After a few seconds though, he reached the neck where the bandage that had been previously covering his chest continued. Putting the bandages away, he finally noticed her staring at him. He smirked boyishly in amusement.

To say that she was surprised to see his well sculpted face was an understatement. She was practically gaping at him, surprised to see such familiarity in his features, and surprised to find herself charmed by same features. Blushing, she turned to look another way. Any way would have been have, as long as she did not meet his eyes.

"Like what you see?" He teased. Though, mentally he was scolding himself for saying that, yelling at his hollow's perversity.

With newfound confidence, she stared at him, and stuck her tongue, "Maybe. Though you look very much like Ichigo," At this, Mugetsu was inwardly starting to panic. "except he doesn't have that sharp, mature look. He's still a big baby. Too bad, he would've had popularity with girls if he did." He mentally sighed. After realizing the implications of her words though, his cheeks gained a rosy tint and he raised an eyebrow.

"Are you suggesting something?" He asked.

"Maybe," She escaped again.

Chuckling, he sat on his futon, buried himself under sheets, then turned to her. "God, I missed you so much…" He muttered, his lips stretching in a sad smile.

"Did you say something?" She asked, feigning not hearing what he said. When he shook his head, and turned to face the window, she frowned in concern. _I know he has a complicated past behind him, but how could he have known me? That distant expression… I feel sorry for him, though I don't know why._

Sighing a little, she closed her eyes. _I guess we will find out, soon enough…_

_To be continued…_

* * *

**This chapter was more about making the head and the tail of the situation. There will be more action in the next chapters. **

**Next, on MST...**

**_The future-version Ichigo, now dubbed Mugetsu, prepares for the ride to Soul Society. He and his past self get acquainted, Mugetsu teaching Ichigo about 'the dangers of the world'! Find out how's Ichigo going to survive this time._**

**Alrighty then, I'm off to bed, considering it's midnight and I can barely feel my fingers and face. Might update this weekend, though I'm not sure. Have a nice read while I'm away!**

**R&R, always!**

**-Datenshii**


	3. Chapter Two

**Thank you for the lovely reviews! I will answer more of you questions next chapter, as seeing I'm a bit late for school now.**

**Rate: T, ****because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: IchiRuki, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

* * *

Moonless Sky's Touch

First Arc – The Arrival

Chapter Two – Class in session

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Mugetsu shot up in his bed, and rubbed his sore ears. Chuckling, he stood and headed for the source of the not-so-manly scream.

On the way there, he encountered the dirty-blond shopkeeper. "He's awake, isn't he?" The black-haired male asked. Urahara just nodded and grinned deviously.

Expression turning serious, Mugetsu glanced at the door leading to Ichigo's room. "Begin his training as fast as you can. I'll know when to step in."

Kisuke stared for a moment at the other man, as if trying to figure something out. Eyes widening a bit, he turned and headed for said room.

_You're one mysterious fellow, aren't you, Kurosaki Ichigo? I guess you may have one good reason for doing this._

…

Rukia was eating her breakfast, thinking about the previous day and preparing herself for today's events. _Hougyoku… I don't even know what it looks like, yet it is inside me. Are we really just pawns in a bigger game? Me, Renji, Nii-sama…_

Suddenly, she was brought out of her musings when a long, slender finger hit her forehead. She jumped and raised her hands to cover said spot, eyes widening comically. There stood Mugetsu, on the opposite side of the table, finger still raised in the position it ended up after he poked her.

"What the Hell, you fool!" Rukia exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot.

Mugetsu shrugged. "You were moping. Had this big ugly frown on your face," he explained, uncaringly.

Her eye twitched and jumped, preparing to kick him. Unfortunately, he dodged and she ended up on the floor, spluttering. As he laughed at her predicament, she scowled and elbowed him. _Hard._

"OW! What the Hell, insane midget!" he exclaimed as she had done before.

"You poked me! And, you dodged!" she reasoned.

Mugetsu's eyebrows twitched comically. "And I should have let you beat me up? For what? A light poke? You must be deranged," he complained.

She opened her mouth to retort, but ended up closing it, remembering her current predicament. Seeing this, the man's eyes softened. "Don't worry. You won't feel a thing," he said.

Rukia shook her head. "That's not what I'm worried about. I mean, there's this big, affair going on, and the Gotei 13 had no idea about it. Hell, I didn't know I was a host for the most desired tool in the afterlife," she said, eyebrow furrowing.

Mugetsu scowled. "Well, I know for a fact that Aizen planned my entire existence in this affair, except me killing him. So, yeah, you're not alone in all this. But at least, it's going to be over in a few weeks. Then we can go on about our lives," he explained.

The petite shinigami's eyes widened. _Aizen planned… His entire existence? And I thought I was a victim… He must have felt broken at finding out…_

Seeing Rukia's sympathetic look, he shook his head, "Don't look at me like that. As I already said, it will soon be over, so my situation doesn't really matter all that anymore." He closed his eyes and crossed his arms, as if in deep thought.

After a few seconds, he stood. "Come. Let's see if we can get that little bastard out," he said, and motioned for her to follow him.

Rukia bit her lip. The memories of a harsh childhood overwhelmed her, a pain in the stomach present. _If my childhood was harsh, how was his? Such pained eyes…_ Putting depressing thoughts aside, she followed him, bracing herself for the next challenge.

…

"**Zangetsu!" **

After the dust had settled, Urahara was able to study the boy's large Zanpakutou. It seemed like he managed to impress him once again.

"Since you gained your Zanpakutou, we can now begi-"Urahara began. Unfortunately, he was cut off by the appearance of the black-haired man, Mugetsu.

"May I step in?" the man asked. Ichigo stared at him suspiciously. This was the man who saved him on the night Byakuya and Renji came. He was still covered in the same grey bandages and black hakama. Urahara retreated, and Mugetsu turned to face him.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked confusedly.

Mugetsu raised an eyebrow. "From now on, I'm training you. But first, we need to have a little chat."

It was Ichigo's turn to raise his eyebrows. "About?"

"About what you're training for," he replied. "Rukia escaped arrest and certain execution. What are you going to do once we finish your training?"

"I… don't know," he answered truthfully. He really had no idea what he was doing. Rukia didn't need to be rescued, so then, why was he training?

"Let me tell you a few things. There's a reason Rukia should have been in Soul Society now, and not really for execution. Aizen Sousuke, a captain of the Gotei 13, had planned for a century her meeting with you," Mugetsu said. Ichigo's eyes widened and his jaw went slack.

"A hundred years ago, as a captain, Urahara Kisuke had created the Hougyoku, which grants the one it finds worthy their most intimate desires. Aizen wanted to use it to become God, so Urahara hid it in the soul of a baby. In Rukia's soul," he continued.

"He had been planning your existence. Planned you meeting her, planned her giving you shinigami powers, so that she would have to be executed. Planned you going to rescue her, so that after you destroyed the object of her execution and the captains were distracted, he could take the Hougyoku out of her soul. He even planned for you m-mother to die," Mugetsu explained.

At this, Ichigo was horrified. He was no longer able to think straight. "M-mom..? So… he…"

Mugetsu nodded. "He was the one who sent Grand Fisher to the Living World, precisely, Karakura Town. He knew the hollow would be attracted to your mother's high reiatsu, as well as yours."

The young shinigami stared blankly at the ground. "It was all my faul-"Ichigo was on the verge of starting an entire speech about how he was at fault, however, he was cut off, by a flying punch.

When he hit the ground, he stood weakly and rubbed his sore cheek, staring shocked at his assailant.

Mugetsu glared at him. "It wasn't your damn fault. Stop blaming yourself. It was Aizen's. _Aizen's!_ He sent Grand Fisher to kill your mother, he convinced Ukitake to send Rukia to the Living World so that you two could meet and he was the one who aided Abarai Renji with high-tech tools, so that he could successfully capture Rukia. He planned your entire existence!"

At this point, the young Kurosaki didn't know what to think of the entire situation. He had a feeling that this stranger wasn't lying, and because of that, he ended up choking on whatever words he planned to pass.

"W-w-what am I supposed to do now?" Ichigo said, coiling and grabbing his head.

The black-haired male grimaced. It hurt to see himself in agony, but this was necessary.

"There is only one thing you can do. Fight," Mugetsu said. Ichigo raised his head slightly to look at him. "Fight, grow stronger, protect. Isn't that what your name means? The name your mother gave you? 'One who protects', right? Aizen isn't dead yet. I'm going to kill him, but I need your help to infiltrate the Soul Society. What do you say? Will you help me end this madman's plans?"

_Such strong eyes… This man… Who is he? _Ichigo thought, staring at the stranger amazed. Though he'd never admit it, he was absently accepting the fact that he could learn a lot from him. He knew way too much about him, but then again, Urahara was a pretty mysterious fellow too, so… He brushed it off, for the moment.

Ichigo stood, and clenched his fists, eyes burning with determination. "Train me, Mugetsu. We'll end this Aizen once and for all."

Behind his mask, Mugetsu smirked. It seemed like Gin had rubbed off on him. Those were the kind of eyes his younger self had to have. Strong, fiery, determined eyes.

"Grab your partner, Ichigo. Keep aware. Don't relax, don't underestimate. I'm not as forgiving as Urahara. Tolerance is the last thing you need if you want to get strong," the wild transcender declared.

"Here I come…" he whispered, and he disappeared.

Ichigo's eyes widened. _Where could he have disappeared to?_

Suddenly, there was a slight breeze brushing past his shoulder and he felt himself pinned down by a strong force. He felt air leave his lungs as Mugetsu's foot crushed his chest. Said attacker scoffed.

"Che. You are lucky I chose to just pin you down. If I intended to kill you, you'd be dead before you had any time to register it."

The young shinigami swallowed heavily. Mugetsu scowled and continued, "This just shows that you aren't even near good enough for Soul Society. It also shows that you did not take my warning to heart. I will not hesitate to take your life the next time you aren't paying enough attention."

Shunpoing away from Ichigo, Mugetsu stood there, arms crossed, watching as the shinigami got up slowly. After he regained his composure, the black-haired male attacked him again.

This time, Ichigo dodged the older man's fist. He watched as a small crater formed in the place the punch landed.

Mugetsu however, spared no time and quickly weighed himself on his hands and kicked the orange-haired shinigami in the ribs, sending him flying in a boulder. Jumping back on his feet, he watched as the dust settled and the shinigami slowly got up from the pile of rubble, coated in light scratches.

"Damn. You kick harder than Rukia," Ichigo joked. Mugetsu chuckled.

"Tell that to her face," he replied. Unfortunately for the younger male, the black haired transcender disappeared again. As soon as he reappeared, Ichigo ducked a fist aimed to his head and stepped back to dodge another. However, he soon found himself cornered, having reached the boulder with his back, and Mugetsu launched a high kick, landing just beside Ichigo's head, cracking the boulder until it was completely destroyed. The shinigami's eyes widened.

Mugetsu got back in a relaxed stance. "Only dodging isn't gonna help you win. It keeps you alive, yes, but at one point, you will not be able to dodge anymore. Fight back," he lectured.

Ichigo nodded, and Mugetsu shunpoed a few feet away, then charged again. When he launched a side kick, Ichigo blocked it with the temporarily forgotten Zangetsu's blunt side. Mugetsu smirked when he shunpoed away in order to dodge a slash from said Zanpakutou. Charging once again, he jumped in the air and by the time he was ten feet above the shinigami, he brought down his right foot in a reiatsu charged kick.

Not fast enough to register, Ichigo brought up his left arm to block. Mugetsu grinned. "Wrong move," He said, as Ichigo found himself overwhelmed by the strength of the kick and struggled to block it, creating a crater beneath his feet. Soon though, his arm gave up and he jumped back to avoid the landing.

Turning to look at his arm, he found it slightly burned, a black, bleeding mark visible where the foot landed. Biting his lip, he scowled and turned to look at Mugetsu. "Is this the power of a captain?"

Mugetsu stared at him for a second. "Yes. This is the power of a captain in Shikai."

Ichigo's eyes widened. _Only Shikai…? So then, does that mean that this man is at his limit, if he doesn't use the power equal to Bankai? Does he even have a Zanpakutou?_

"I cannot tell, Ichigo. His reiatsu is suppressed to the point one would state he is dead, so I do not know if he has a partner or not. However, judging by how he wants us to work together, I would say he has," the wise voice of Zangetsu sounded in his head.

_Z-zangetsu? You can talk to me while I'm not in my Inner World? _Ichigo asked in shock.

By the feeling of it, the Zanpakutou must have scowled. "Of course. Nonetheless, his appearance is familiar…" he muttered.

Shrugging of the shiver that run down his spine, Ichigo grabbed Zangetsu with both hands and charged. Mugetsu raised an eyebrow. _Finally, he seems to be getting the idea,_ he thought.

When Ichigo brought down his sword and he was finally thinking that he got him, Mugetsu simply stood there, not making a move to dodge. As soon as the blade made contact with his skin, Ichigo froze, unable to move or think when he found that there was no blood leaking.

"There is no blood because you are not aiming to kill. Because there's no power in your blade. You couldn't even cut my hair with this kind of attack," Mugetsu said. "I am aiming to kill you. Find resolve to try and kill me too."

Pushing back the frozen shinigami a few feet, he build up a bit of reiatsu so that it would leak out. It enveloped him in a black, heavy aura as he took a stance. His red eyes glinted blue as he stared determined at his past self.

"Your fear is what's stopping you from advancing. You fear that you might kill me, you fear that you might get killed, and you fear that those you protect might get killed as well. When you dodge think 'I won't let them cut me'. When you protect them, 'I won't let them die'. If you attack, 'I will kill them'. Now show me, Ichigo. Show me your resolve!" he declared, quoting his mentor's words.

He watched as his past self's eyes turned blue as he dodged his attacks. At one point, he blocked his arm with his blade, and a small cut appeared there. Mugetsu smirked and jumped in the air, disappearing. A few moments later, he was bringing down another kick upon Ichigo, leaving black flame-like reiatsu as a trail. He watched as Ichigo brought up his sword, bluish reiatsu engulfing him.

"Getsuga… TENSHOU!" He yelled, and released the familiar blue arc of energy. The arc engulfed Mugetsu as he tried to block it with simply his arms.

A few moments later, the reiatsu had risen to show Mugetsu, the bandages on his chest a bit ripped off. He was holding a reishi-made sword in his right hand.

Ichigo grinned. "Finally…" he said, as he collapsed and fell asleep. The other male chuckled.

"Maybe Urahara was right when he said I'm a freaky kid…" he said, smirking.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**I might update today or tomorrow. Stay tuned!**

**-Datenshii**


	4. Chapter Three

**Welcome back to myself, I guess. Sorry for being so late, what with the Christmas and New year... Alright, I know I promised you to answer questions for both chapter one and chapter two in this update so...**

**Prince of Havok: Yes, Ichigo is dead right now. His body had been destroyed in the war in his time. About the paradox, that will be explained as well in later chapters, don't worry as I had this one plotted too. About Ichigo ever matching Mugetsu... I don't think so but I'm not confirming anything yet. There is a reason why Ichigo is still here and a lot of things will change with both of them around.**

**Eradona: Do not worry, for I have already plotted that. I always have everything plotted *insert evil laugh and lighting in the background*. As for the first issue, Rukia might notice similarity but since she already knew Ichigo she won't think about Mugetsu like that. You might find my future idea for them very pleasant :X.**

**chessmasterWII: Omg. Sorry for that. Well, since I already had planned for him to know of bankai, we'll suppose Zangetsu told him about it. There's really nothing I can do about it right now. Again, sorry.**

**Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter: Answer to chapter two review- Mindfuck O.O. Neither do I.**

**CrazyTomboy679: As a chessmasterWII pointed out, Ichigo learned about bankai in Soul Society, though I don't quite recall if it was surely Yoruichi who told him about it. Sorry for my mistake.**

**Methrindal: His hidden identity does have a reason. Imagine Squad Zero or some other pseudo-God obsessed with power finding out that time-travel was possible.**

**Blazingfyres: Thank you. Don't worry about rushing. If you like things at a slow pace, then you will surely love what's about to come in further chapters :)**

**Thank you to everyone who reviews, favorites, follows or just simply reads! I am pleased with the responses I'm getting and will not give up this story anytime soon, both for you and for myself 3. Big hugs.**

**The cover for the story is mine, made in real pencil and colored in photoshop. You can get a bigger version from my deviantart account: bya4ever. deviantart. com - ****Just remove the spaces.**

**Rate: ****T, ****because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: ****IchiRuki, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

Moonless Sky's Touch

First Arc – The Arrival

Chapter Three – The Calm Before the Storm

"We're done," Mugetsu announced and Ichigo fell to his knees, panting. "Use these last two days to rest and spend time with your family. Urahara will announce you of when exactly to leave your house."

Ichigo nodded, taking a deep breath and reentering his body. Just before climbing the stairs to the Shoten, he turned his head half-way to glance at the older man. "Thank you. At first, I was really wary of you, but you proved your intentions and helped me a lot," he said sincerely.

Mugetsu smiled. "Glad I could help." And soon, the boy disappeared up into the Shoten.

Finally alone, he sat on the dusty ground and closed his eyes to gather his thoughts. _Okay… Let's recap up until now. My friends and family died. I killed Aizen. I succumbed to despair. Suddenly, this lady appears out of nowhere and grants me a wish, when I state it to her because of the aura that gave no room for discussion and my temporary break down. I find myself back in time, and end up saving Rukia and my past self's asses. I get a sword to my neck from my old mentor, and then I train my younger version in the means of fighting._

"**I have ta agree with ya, Kingie. Yer current life pretty much sucks," **the hollow cackled.

Mugetsu frowned. _While that is true, I am truly glad that it is this way. The way things are going; many people won't have to suffer by the time this ends._

Tensa Zangetsu agreed on this matter. "As soon as this ends, you will have to take some decisions to have a peaceful life, too. We cannot go back to our own time, I believe, but this realm's Ichigo is still present. You cannot take his place."

A sad smile pulled at his lips. _Yeah. You're right. It'll be hard to treat my sisters and my friends as if I am someone else… I bet Rukia already has her eyes on this time's Ichigo…_

Tensa stayed silent. In this situation, there was no advice he could possibly give. His master's heart had been struck, and it seemed that not even going back in time to see his loved one again won't heal it.

The hollow, however, didn't seem to agree with the Zanpakutou, and he made his opinion known, pretty loudly too. **"OI! Don't ya dare go all mopy on me again! Ye still have time ta fight for da Queen. There's no way yer weak, past self would win against ya!"** he shouted in annoyance.

Unfortunately, that seemed to bring Mugetsu's morale even lower. _But it wouldn't be fair. I guess I really don't belong here… We're outcasts, aren't we, hollow?_

"**We are. But that's not gonna stop us from going further," **he replied.

_Come to think of it, we should give you a name, don't ya think? _The transcender said.

"**Do what ya want. Jus' make it badass," **said hollow answered cockily.

_Ok… What about… Demonio Del Infierno? _At this point, the black haired male was really proud of his accomplishments in Spanish class.

Tensa Zangetsu had raised a curious eyebrow, while the hollow was busy repeating his new name. **"Now dat's really badass enough ta fit me. Did ya suddenly grow a brain and a pair o' balls, Kingie?" **

Mugetsu scowled. _Shut up, or next time I won't be this kind again._ Feeling Tensa's unmentioned questions, he continued. _He's part of my power too. Felt like giving him a name just like you have._

"His new name might help you out in the future," he said enigmatically.

Sighing, he cut off his conversation and headed to look for Urahara.

…

"Urahara-san?" Mugetsu called in the dark room. A few moments later, a light was flipped open and he could see said man sitting in a chair next to a desk with a computer.

"Mugetsu. I take it your training with Ichigo was successful?" he asked.

The black haired man nodded. "I gave him these last days until we take off to relax. While I admit that it would be wonderful to have him train more, something that could give better chances of survival, he is still just a boy. Too much war is going to force him to mature early, something I don't want to happen, and I think neither do you."

"Ah, about the trip… Inoue Orihime and Sado Yasutora will join you. Yoruichi talked to them and trained them," Urahara informed. Seeing the absent look on the other man's face, he continued. "Mugetsu-san," The man looked at him. "Are you really sure that you can take down Aizen?"

Mugetsu frowned. "I wouldn't risk so many people's lives if I couldn't. Could've just left it as it is, since he can't retrieve the Hougyoku anyway, but since I can, I'd rather he doesn't complicate our situation with the Gotei 13."

Urahara nodded. "Also, we should make a decision on what to do with the Hougyoku before you leave. What do you suggest?"

The transcender closed his eyes in thought, sharing a quick discussion with his partners. "Hand it to me. I'll try and destroy it," he muttered.

As soon as the violet orb touched the man's hand, though, it started glowing brightly, shocking both of them. The formerly orange haired man heard a serene voice ring in his head.

"_Kurosaki Ichigo, your heart has been deemed worthy of my servitude. I shall grant you your heart's desires."_

Mugetsu's eyes widened. "What… the…" Scowling, he addressed the voice. _I do not require your assistance. My only desire is that you are destroyed._

The being giggled, "_Truly? Then is it not true that you wish to be loved back? To be yourself in this realm? I can help you to gain your own existence here."_

Hearing this, he stared in shock and swallowed heavily. _I… I… I don't… _He felt his Zanpakutou's presence, but the sword spirit was held back by the new being. Through the struggling, Mugetsu felt a wave of despair from the sword and took a deep breath.

Clearing his mind and heart, he focused on the Hougyoku. _Fine. I accept you._

The being laughed and Tensa yelled at his wielder. The hollow was silently fuming at his actions.

As soon as the Hougyoku started floating towards his heart, Mugetsu entered his inner world. Violet roots were spreading from a completely white being and reaching for the blue skyscrapers. The young man that was Tensa Zangetsu was staring at him, a disappointed frown present on his pale face. Demonio Del Infierno was also standing on the side of a building, not even facing his King.

Mugetsu stared at the new being in his soul. It was a humanoid figure, no hair or clothes present, only a pure white bone-like structure and violet eyes.

"_You will not regret your wise choice,"_ the being said.

"I don't," Mugetsu said, getting close to the being. When he noticed a couple of roots finally touching the buildings, he started walking faster. Reaching the being, he put a hand on its shoulder. The being was staring at him warily.

"I don't and I won't, because you won't be here long!" he yelled, raising an arm and materializing Tensa Zangetsu. "GETSUGA TENSHOU!"

The pure black arc hit Hougyoku, the being splitting cleanly in two, eyes wide even as it was fading.

"Ichigo…" the sword whispered in shock.

"You really thought I'd risk my sanity just for acceptance? I'd rather work hard for it," Mugetsu said hatefully. "With this, there will be no more overpowered enemies."

"**Guess ya aren't that much of a pansy anymore,"** Demonio said grinning. The black haired man grinned back, focusing back to the Living World.

Raising his hand to look at it, the Hougyoku soon broke and the trapped spirits rose to the sky, disappearing. He smiled, _They probably reentered the cycle of life. _He noticed Urahara staring at him in awe.

"Done," he said smugly. The shopkeeper blinked, blinked again, and again…

"You never cease to surprise me, Mugetsu-san," the shopkeeper said wearily. Said man only chuckled.

…

A cold night breeze hit Mugetsu's uncovered face, making him close his eyes to relax and his long, black and unruly hair to blow back. He sighed heavily as he watched the still Karakura Town from his place on a telephone pole. Memories hit him like the merciless waves of a stormy sea, a broken frown marring his features. He remembered his Yuzu's kind smile and bright eyes, Karin's similar to his scowl and laugh as they played soccer, his father's insane antics and his mother's lovely features as well as her long, light brown hair, always neatly kept. His eyes lingered on an apartment complex and he recalled Ishida's smartass remarks at his person, slowly followed by the memory of their fights together. A fight also brought back Chad's gentle and calm expression and his chivalry as he helped others and helped him fight the punks that always attacked him, either verbally or physically. Mugetsu's lips curled in a little smile as he imagined Orihime's bubbly antics and her weird concotions, and the way her eyes watched him as she healed him, with such love he was disappointed to say couldn't return.

Another breeze hit his face and he jumped on a nearby rooftop, plopping himself on it and watching Karakura, more and more bitter memories hitting him. Soon, he felt a new presence and sighed, face turning emotionless.

"This is the fourth time you sighed. Did your emo alter-ego finally catch up to you?" he heard a masculine voice.

Chuckling, he replied, "Shut up, Yoruichi."

Said cat was watching him with curious and slightly disappointed golden eyes. Sensing her unasked question, he turned to look somewhere else. Finally, after a while, he spoke, "You know, I'm really glad to be back."

The cat approached him. "You certainly don't look like it."

He smirked. "That's because I've finally overwhelmed you."

If cat could raise eyebrows, hers would have been raised. "Really," she retorted unbelieving.

Soon, his smirk no longer reached his eyes and he turned to look at her, "I truly am glad to be back, it's just… " he trailed off and they fell into silence.

A few moments later, Yoruichi spoke up, "No one's asking you to save the world. We could not stop Aizen's hand from influencing your lifetime, but I do not regret not being able to stop him, because in a way, it helped you grow in the man you are now. Still, considering what may have happened to you, you have all the rights to refuse to be the hero. You have all the rights to be yourself here,"

Sighing, again, he smiled weakly and scratched Yoruichi's ears. "How long have you known?"

Stopping her purring to answer, she chuckled. "I'm your goddamn godmother, Ichigo. I knew it the moment you arrived. Where you came from and how you did it had me lost for a while, though, and the latter still eludes me."

"I'm quite lost on how I got here too, believe me," Mugetsu replied, shifting himself so that he could have a better view of the sunset. The sun's rays gave the sky an orange-pink tint, reminding him of the walks with his mother.

"She's still with us. Masaki-chan'll never stop watching us," the cat said.

The black haired male smiled, "I know. But she doesn't have to. Her job is done here. It's my turn to watch my younger self. And I have you and Kisuke, Dad, and my friends. I don't need anything else."

Yoruichi inwardly smiled and she joined her student in watching the sun as it left their part of the sky and made room for the moon.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Okay... I am fully alert for any reviews. A fourth story will be posted sometime today or tomorrow, adopted from a fellow writer. I don't know when I'm gonna update next. I just keep filling my schedule with more stories, and more drawing and more homework... And there's only about a week left until school starts again! Oh God...**

**Next, on MST...**

**_Mugetsu, Ichigo and their crew leave for the Soul Society! Who will they fight? How will the Soul Society stand up to an overpowered Kurosaki Ichigo? And how will Aizen riposte? Keep tuned!_**

**Now I'm going to write more FoA. Remember, read and review! It keeps me writing.**

**-Datenshii**


	5. Chapter Four

**Yoooo. I'm back. Yay, I know right? I've updated fast. Yay again.**

**Okay, well, after we get this done, I have to get back to FOA again. Considering the bright mood I'm in, I might as well write two chapters for that story.**

**Now, for the reviews...**

**JRZTimeTravel: Well, I suck at writing yaoi, but, Idk. Guess you just have to find out.**

**Arrival of Tears: No, it's riposte. As in, retaliate. Google it.**

**Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter: Thanks. I actually had taken a lot of time planning the Hougyoku, but remembering how unpredictable Ichigo can be, it was pretty easy to write. I know, Ichigo ALWAYS has to have someone to rely on. He might be the savior of the world, but he's still very young.**

**Eradona: You know, it's really nice to have someone who can analyze the story and point out every little detail. The first and second question will be answered in this chapter. Also, the Arrancar arc won't go like in canon. The quincy war will also occur, so Ichigo has lots of time to develop and strengthen mentally, as well as the perfect teacher. As for the third question, he won't return to his own time. Why he can't/doesn't want to, you just have to be patient and find out :D.**

**I don't mind you writing your major questions, I enjoy finding out how the story looks like from someone else's point of view.**

**Animelover 101: This fact isn't stated in the manga. I don't know if it's true, but in this fic, it is. She and Urahara both are Ichigo's godparents, 'cause I say so.**

**blackgetsuga: Thank you. I know the feeling :D**

**Rate: ****T, ****because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: ****IchiRuki, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

Chapter Four – Ode of the Fallen

_Fate, you bitch… _Mugetsu mentally complained as he, his younger self, Ishida, Chad, Inoue and Yoruichi in her cat form traveled through the Dangai. Ishida had been watching him with his hawk eye, not sure if he could trust him, but seeing how he was now being ungracefully carried by Chad, he forgot about that, for the time being.

Inoue on the other hand, warmed up really fast to him, and even made him promise he would let her braid his hair when they got back. Chad was his usual self, nodding at him to show that he acknowledges him as a comrade and that he would fight to help him as long as he would help back.

At the moment, he had a fairly nice re-meeting with his friends, and almost couldn't reign in the happiness over seeing them alive. He was finally accepting the fact that he would no longer have the same bonds he had built with his loved ones, but decided that their happiness was enough and that he could create them again.

While he was thinking, they had reached the end of the ride and though the others ended up kissing the ground, he gathered reishi under his feet and landed graciously. Well, as gracious as a man can get.

He watched as his younger self ended up in a rather… freakish pose. He grimaced, and heard Inoue make a childish comment and felt the sudden urge to laugh, even more so as he watched Ishida bring out a back-up cape as Ichigo and Chad sweat-dropped.

He shared a glance with Yoruichi and when she nodded, he shunpoed away behind a few vacant houses. After Ichigo fought Jidanbo and he raised the gate, just before Gin could cut his arm, he flash-stepped inside Seireitei, the soon-to-be traitor only feeling a slight breeze pass by him as the gate started falling.

After the gate had closed completely, he quickly grabbed Gin from behind, covering his mouth with a hand. Until they reached the sewers, the captain had not struggled at all, as if he had the situation under control. However, one of his eyes was opened, showing a suspicious light blue eye.

Releasing the taichou, Mugetsu sighed. "Alright. I'm pretty sure you don't know who I am and I'm not gonna freak you out by starting to explain that now. Listen closely, Ichimaru Gin, for I am not gonna repeat it. You have to leave Aizen's side." Ichimaru's eyes widened and he put a hand on his Zanpakutou. "And don't even try to fool me; I know you're planning to end him too." At this, he removed his hand, but still looked slightly wary.

"If ye know I'm tryin' ta betray 'im, why are ye telling me dis?" he asked, blue eyes searching him as if he tried to find something familiar.

"Because you're going to die if you follow him. I know you're trying to make Rangiku-san happy by killing him, but she's certainly going to be worse if you die. Don't worry; I'm going to put an end to his madness. Do what he tells you to do, until I interfere. Then, you will be free," Mugetsu explained.

Gin stood there, staring at him in shock, but the moment he tried to ask, the black haired male shook his head. "Don't ask. I will explain someday, but now is too early. Just trust me."

The 3rd Division captain nodded, and with that, he flash-stepped away again, this time hiding in Urahara's cave, waiting for the moment to interfere.

_I sincerely hope nothing will change…_

…

Yoruichi traveled through the Seireitei, searching for Ichigo's reiatsu and going in his direction the moment she found it. Surrounded by a dreadful feeling, she remembered the plan Mugetsu shared with her.

"_For this to work, we're going to have to repair what I changed. Aizen must not doubt anything."_

And so, they had told Rukia to surrender to the Soul Society soon after Ichigo finished his training. This way, they'd have way more time to train and sort things out, too. Mugetsu had already entered the Seireitei, through the West Gate and headed for her and Urahara's training cave. He'd told her to do teach Ichigo Bankai and let the future encounters flow. Ichigo would trust his instinct and things would go just as his older self would want them.

Mentally sighing in concern, she picked Ichigo up and took him to the rendezvous point.

…

Surprisingly, Ichigo had got the idea about Bankai very smoothly, and they managed to get him achieve it in under three days. After that, Mugetsu pounded into him a bit until he got a vague idea about strategic thinking and use of various techniques, as well as mastering his special attack.

Reaching the cave, the Shihouin princess had understood why Mugetsu had to get earlier there, as he had gathered a bloody and tired Quincy and a half-dead Chad. Orihime had taken to healing their wounds, though, and they recuperated pretty quickly.

They had finally reached the time limit and they would have to plunge into battle again. She watched as Ichigo fixed his bandages and Ishida smoothed out any wrinkles on his outfit. Raising a slender, violet eyebrow, she turned to look at Mugetsu, who had been sitting on a boulder, keeping quiet for quite a while.

"Nervous?" she asked teasingly. To her surprise, Mugetsu nodded. "Don't be. You have reasons not to be." They shared a quick glance, as no further words were necessary.

Ichigo, from his own corner of the room, had been watching Mugetsu too. He had learned a lot from this stranger over the few weeks they knew each other, though he has also learned to fear and respect him. His skills and strength were tremendous, and he was sure he had not seen even half of it. The shinigami found himself amazed at the pace at which he grew to trust this stranger, if only by his words, which always held this sincerity to them.

Still, he could not shake off the weird feeling he had around the black haired male. As if, there was something that connected them. It made him worry, but he told himself that even if there was something horrifying behind this connection, they would be able to work together and solve it. Or at least so he had hoped.

'Cast off your fear, Ichigo. You are not the only one feeling that, and I assure you there is nothing you should worry about. All shall be revealed, with small, slow steps,' Zangetsu said inside his mind.

_Thanks, ossan, _he mentally murmured, wiping the frown off his face. Or at least, the more accentuated frown.

Opening the eyes he had not realized he'd closed, the orange haired shinigami placed his trusty Zanpakutou on his back and prepared himself for the battles to come.

…

Rukia could only watch as every shinigami that even tried to stand up to Aizen met the ground, their blood covering it. She had been, albeit selfishly, hoping that they would defeat this villain, for she did not know what would come of her if he were to find out she no longer held the Hougyoku.

And in this moment, she knew there was no escape. Aizen had lifted her by her collar and would now use a technique with which he would supposedly be able to enter her soul to take it out. Take out what wasn't there.

And just as his eyes widened, the Ice-wielder's favorite savior appeared.

"Mugetsu…" she whispered wide-eyed as she was once again held, this time in a bandage-garbed arm. His black hair was blown by the wind, his hakama billowing behind him like black flames.

Mugetsu looked at her with his blood red eyes, and a glint of relief surged within them. She smiled reassuringly, showing she wasn't hurt. Turning back his attention to the enemy, she saw her savior's eyes drift towards Ichimaru Gin, who nodded, this ordeal going without Aizen's notice.

And despite still being present, Aizen had a shocked expression on his face, something that surprised Rukia. Inwardly, she smirked. _Karma has gotten hold of a whip, Aizen, and she's coming for you!_

Still, Aizen had gotten hold of his composure pretty fast. Smiling pleasantly, he slowly advanced towards them. The Kuchiki, despite trusting in Mugetsu's strength, felt fear grip at her heart once again, and in turn, she gripped Mugetsu's arm.

"And to whom do I owe this pleasure? Who shall I cut down next?" Aizen asked. Mugetsu did not ask, instead, moved Rukia in his other arm, the one with tattoos.

Smile not faltering, Aizen continued walking towards the strange male. The black haired male did not move from his place, either, and the moment Aizen was just a foot away from him, he gripped Rukia tightly.

"No words? Fine by me. You will go down silently, something that pleases me," he said, raising Kyoka Suigetsu to cut at the stranger.

Only to be shocked once again.

"…" Aizen could only stare at the bandaged hand that had stopped his sword, ironically the same way he had stopped Kurosaki Ichigo's. One finger.

He lifted his head to find the male's eyes, only to find a determinate stare, a will of steel behind those red eyes.

Aizen flash-stepped away from him, and started throwing Kido spells at him, which Mugetsu repelled with his only free hand. And so, Aizen had tried to take him down, either with his Zanpakutou, with Hadou and Bakudou, or combinations of the two. Slowly, the Gotei 13 and the rest of the ryoka group had arrived at the scene, only to stop and watch Aizen's desperate struggles.

"Why?!" he had finally screamed. "Why are you able to defend yourself against me? Who are you?"

At this, Mugetsu put Rukia down, who proceeded to fall to her knees, and started advancing towards the villain.

"I am your failed experiment, Aizen Sousuke," Mugetsu bitterly said. Raising his fists, black flame-like reiatsu covered them, he punched Aizen in the face, making dust rise around the crater he had formed when he landed.

The transcender stood in one place and waited for Aizen to either come at him or run away. And, just as he expected, the madman charged.

Blocking his Zanpakutou with a finger, he launched another fist at the traitor, this time, meeting his sword. Not retreating, he pushed further and broke the madman's partner, then caught him by his neck.

Aizen desperately looked towards Gin, who had yet to move from his place. Mugetsu smirked behind his mask.

"It certainly took you a while to realize you no longer have any allies," he whispered sadistically. The older Ichigo just couldn't resist the hollow's urges. The villain's eyes darted frantically, noticing that Tousen was not there either, until he realized something.

Aizen smirked. "I am afraid you are quite mistaken."

And then, a rip appeared in the sky, countless Gillians appearing inside. Soon, Negacion was cast over Aizen, and Mugetsu had to flash-step away from him. Gritting his teeth, Mugetsu summoned a black, reishi-like sword.

"You are not getting away again, Aizeeen!" the black haired male screamed, launching towards the protected Aizen. Time seemed to flow slower, as Yoruichi's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to stop him, and Rukia's heart stopped, her empty stare following their only hope to win.

Mugetsu raised his sword with his right hand, the other clenched in a fist behind him, and it soon made contact with the Negacion. Aizen's confident smile broke and his face took an expression of horror.

And the Negacion broke, golden pieces falling all around the shinigami, the traitor, and the transcender.

Said transcender had finally reached Aizen, who fell back down from his floating state. Taking a few steps back and griping the reishi sword with both hands, he drew it back and charged Aizen. Giving a battle cry, he plunged the sword in the enemy's chest, successfully striking his heart.

The Gotei could only watch in awe and slight fear as the bandage wearing stranger let the makeshift sword disperse, making Aizen's dying form collapse to the ground. Turning his head so he could see the one that had injured him, Aizen muttered his final question. "Who… are y-you…"

Mugetsu smiled sadly. "I am your failed experiment, Aizen. I am Kurosaki Ichigo," he whispered.

Aizen moved his head slightly, and he spotted a younger, orange haired, awe-struck Kurosaki Ichigo, lying on the ground almost the same way as him, covered by merciless cuts and surrounded by blood. Chuckling, Aizen's gaze drifted one more time towards the older version of the fiery ryoka.

And so, Soul Society's most feared enemy had given his last breath.

And all Hell broke loose.

_To be continued…._

* * *

**As always, I make a race between two fics, and now I must return to the other. Expect irregular updates.**

**Read and Review! They keep me bringing fast updates.**

**-Datenshii**


	6. Chapter Five

**Back to MST. School's coming, that means tomorrow I'm gonna do homework, so I'm gonna update only every Friday, maybe some more Saturday and Sunday if I feel like it.**

**Alright, I'm gonna give prizes like I've seen some other writers do. (excuse me for not being original ^^")**

**The 100th reviewer will be able to request an omake, with their own idea! Let's see what you're gonna make me write :D.**

**Now, for the reviews...**

**JRZTimeTravel: What if no one has to suffer? *mysterious aura* I say no more, it'd mean giving spoilers.**

**Mrs. Kitsune: They didn't hear Mugetsu's revelation. Just Aizen. Shit ain't gonna hit the fan yet XD Thanks.**

**Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter: No, not literally. If I'm gonna write the Hell Chapter too, I'm definitely introducing it in a more spectacular, mysterious way. That's the kind of overboard writer I am xD**

**Allyieh: Yeah, after this, the arrancars are gonna come in.**

**27kirune12: Of course, don't I always get important scenes spectacular?**

**Chiharu-san. Thankyouthankyouthankyouthan kyou 3. Also, no, only Aizen heard it. As I already said, Shit ain't gonna hit the fan yet XD Maybe I'm gonna write some this evening, but tomorrow I've got to do homework so if it's not up by today or tomorrow, then you're gonna have to wait 'till Friday.**

**Kurotensaki13: Of course not! There are still the Arrancars, the Zanpakutou rebellion maybe, the Quincy war and so much more.**

**Rate: ****T, ****because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: ****IchiRuki, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

Chapter Five – Return to Normalcy

Mugetsu sighed and kneeled to grab his enemy's corpse and throw it over his shoulder. He readied himself for a flash-step, only to be surrounded by at least three captains.

His eyes flickered uncaringly amongst the shinigami who were holding their swords at his neck. "Remove your blades, soul reapers," he said.

"Ryoka, by the order of the Gotei 13 and the Royal Family, you are hereby arrested," Soifon announced coldly.

The black haired male raised an eyebrow. "After I saved you asses? Have you no shame?"

Soifon blushed in embarrassment and made a move to attack him. He simply grabbed her Zanpakutou and threw it aside. Shunsui and Juushirou flash-stepped behind Soifon, the head captain following close after them. "Soifon-taichou, Komamura-taichou, Kuchiki-taichou, step aside from the ryoka," Yamamoto ordered. They did as told and he approached Mugetsu. "What are you going to do with Aizen Sousuke's corpse?"

Mugetsu regarded him with a half-stare. "I am going to bury it. He might have been a villain and a madman, but in the end, he was just a very lonely man," he said.

The captains looked at him oddly and the captain-commander raised an eyebrow, but allowed him to pass nonetheless. The remaining leaders of the Gotei 13 watched as the man disappeared in a blur of black, completely vanishing from their sight or senses.

"Soutaichou-sama, was it really wise to let him go?" Komamura asked.

Yamamoto didn't turn to look at him. "No man with such a heart would ever do evil. Yet, I believe all we can do is wait and watch."

…

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Soul Society is in your group's debt, as you stopped Kuchiki Rukia's execution and through that stalled Aizen Sousuke's plans. Because of that, I am here to hand you the title of Substitute Shinigami, as well as this Seal of Approval that proves who you are," Ukitake said, handing Ichigo his badge. He then moved to face Mugetsu.

"Although your group stopped Aizen's plans, you are the one who truly killed the traitor and therefore, saved the entire afterlife. Mugetsu-san, as your name needs yet to be revealed," Ukitake said this with an amused smile. "You are to be known as the 'protector of Soul Society', and we would be honored if you would join us when a new enemy appears. If you agree, you can keep contact with the Gotei 13 through Urahara Kisuke." At the end, Ukitake bowed and Mugetsu put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him, as he was glad his blush could not be seen.

"Mugetsu," Rukia called, approaching the Senkaimon. He only stood there as they stared at each other. The older Ichigo had to admit, that he was feeling a little pained at the thought of leaving her again. He tried to say something, but he quickly closed his mouth and bit his lip. Rukia smiled. "Take care."

Despite her smile, he could not return it. Instead, he took a stony expression and turned to walk towards the gate. Her smile faltered and she frowned a bit. Stopping in his tracks –he just knew he was gonna regret it-, he turned to face her and clenched his fists.

"I'll… miss you. A lot," he murmured. Kuchiki Byakuya's eyebrows twitched and Rukia stood there speechless. A dazed grin took over her porcelain features.

"I'll miss you too," she whispered, blushing. Renji stared at her in shock and Mugetsu felt the need to blush too. Instead, he turned and left without any more words.

…

He stood on Urahara's flying carpet, saying goodbye each time a friend climbed down. He chuckled when Orihime told him she'd come for his hair one of these days.

Ichigo turned to look him. "Ne, Mugetsu-san? Where do you stay?" he innocently asked.

Mugetsu's eyes widened. "As a matter of fact… I don't really have a place to stay." He turned to stare pleadingly at Urahara. Said scientist-turned-shopkeeper put his arms up in surrender.

"Tessai has been hinting at me to organize a vacation for a long, long time," he mock-whined. The transcender glared at the seemingly-innocent man.

Ichigo sweat-dropped and raised a hand. "You could… stay with me I guess." Mugetsu turned to stare at him.

Suddenly, he realized what this meant. _I… I'd get to see Yuzu and Karin… And Dad… _He noticed Urahara staring at him with a knowing look. Closing his eyes, Mugetsu mentally chuckled.

"Thanks, Ichigo. I'll… be there in the morning. I have to get a gigai first," he replied. Ichigo nodded and got off, seeing how they arrived at his house.

"See you in the morning," Ichigo said, waving. Mugetsu waved back and he, Urahara and his crew flew away.

Entering his body after he ejected Kon and laying in his bed, he put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling in deep thought. _Man, how am I gonna explain this to my family? I just hope old man won't embarrass me in front of him, _he thought, blushing and covering his face with his pillow. Although he wouldn't admit it, he respected the older teen a lot and somehow always wanted to make him proud, especially after he got his ass roflstomped by Aizen.

Sighing, he tried to brush off such thoughts. He'd never wanted to impress someone so much, and to be real, he never liked thinking of it. But for the moment, he accepted it as it was, and instead chose to get a short sleep until he'd have to solve this shit.

…

Ichigo already told them he'd offered a friend with no parents and home to stay with them, but to say that Karin was lightly surprised as she always is, is an understatement.

Around 9 in the morning, their guest arrived. First of all, it was a _he_. While she doesn't take her father's words to heart, she was beginning to think her brother was really gay. Until he brought Rukia home. Then the old goat said he was a pervert, just like him. And after a while, she almost believed that, basing it on the fact that he was a teenager male.

And he yet again crushed that fact. He brought home a man, not a boy. They claimed he was only about 17, yet his eyes and composure conflicted with that. Second of all, he was _tall. _As in, a head or so taller than her brother. So tall, she had to look up to see his face.

Third of all, he had long black hair. So long, it reached the small of his back. And he had it in a high ponytail. Karin was sure that, if he let it down, it would reach past his waist.

And right now, the Kurosaki family was staring at him and Ichigo in shock. Ichigo seemed to be nervous about something, another thing that led her to believe he was gay.

"I'm Mugetsu. Thank you for your hospitality," the man said simply. Isshin seemed to recover from his shock and he started to cry, running to his dead wife's poster.

"Masaki~! My son is truly gay! He can no longer give me grandbabies! Whatever shall we do?" he whined.

Ichigo covered his face with his hands, as if wanting to disappear from the scene. Mugetsu chuckled a bit and bowed to Yuzu. "It's nice to meet you."

Despite her father's cries, Yuzu seemed to like this guest of theirs and immediately blushed and bowed back. "My name is Kurosaki Yuzu, Ichi-nii's sister. It's nice to meet you too, Mugetsu-san," she said pleasantly. She glanced at Karin, as if telling her to introduce herself.

The older twin rolled her eyes and came before the guest. "Karin," she said, sticking her hand for him to shake.

"Mugetsu," he returned as if it was something normal, and shook her hand. Yuzu stared at them in confusion but brushed it off, inviting her guest inside.

Out of nowhere, Isshin sprung back into action. "Nevertheless, I am going to accept you into the family, since I am the best daddy! Now come to my bosom, Mugetsu, my second son!" he sang, launching himself at the black haired teen, arms positioned for a hug.

And the Kurosaki siblings stared in shock at what occurred.

The moment the Kurosaki patriarch was a just an arm away from Mugetsu, the teen jumped back in the air, and landed a kick in the overbearing man's head, successfully digging his head in the ground. Mugetsu scoffed at the man and resumed to following Yuzu. "Sorry for the floor, Yuzu," he murmured.

Karin stared at him with stars in her eyes. "Ichigo, you have my blessing. You can marry him," she said.

Ichigo turned red. "What the Hell, Karin!"

Mugetsu raised an eyebrow. "I already love a woman," he said flatly. Ichigo stared at him in shock again, as he never expected something like that to come out of the older teen's mouth.

"Ooh," the black haired girl made. "Does she love you back?"

"Karin-chan! That's private!" Yuzu protested. Karin shrugged. Mugetsu frowned.

Shrugging, the older teen looked away. "I don't know."

Ichigo glanced at him, only to see that he had already engaged Yuzu in conversation. Frowning, he stored the thoughts related to that subject for later.

…

After dinner, he and Mugetsu had gone to his room to simply spend the time.

"Are you going to join my school?" Ichigo asked. He was lying on his bed, reading a book.

Mugetsu was sitting on his desk chair, hands behind his head. "Maybe. I never really got to finish junior year," he answered.

"Really?" Ichigo asked, now curious. "Why?"

The older male hesitated. "I got stuck with shinigami powers and… it's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you another time."

The orange head frowned and put his book aside. "Do you think I'll have to leave school because of my shinigami powers?"

"No," he answered almost instantaneously. "I'll make sure you live your life."

Ichigo scowled in confusion, but he relaxed and a little smile curled his lips. "Thanks…"

Mugetsu didn't reply. Instead, he seemed to be staring at his guitar case. "Can I…?" he finally asked, trailing off. Ichigo nodded, and he stood to grab the instrument. Unzipping the case, he took out the black guitar and placed it masterfully in his lap. Checking the strings, Mugetsu took a deep breath.

And struck the cords. He began playing a sad song, his mouth parting as if he was whispering lyrics. He closed his eyes when he reached the chorus, and at the end, the song sounded a bit happier.

Opening his eyes as his fingers left the strings, he turned to look at Ichigo. The boy was staring at him in awe. "That was… Where the Hell did you learn such a great song? Did you compose it?" he said breathlessly.

Mugetsu smiled. "My best friend composed it. It's called 'Will of the Heart'," he replied.

"Amazing," Ichigo said, grinning. "Can you teach me?"

The older teen shook his head, an amused smirk present on his face. "Maybe some other time, though I don't promise to do it." The orange haired teen looked disappointed, like a kid who can't get his favorite toy. Mugetsu chuckled at his face.

"What's so funny?" Ichigo asked pouting. Mugetsu laughed even harder, and the younger teen turned red and threw a pillow in his face. He stopped laughing, startled by the pillow and gave a quiet yelp. When Ichigo laughed too, Mugetsu grabbed the pillow and climbed the bed to beat his younger self with it.

Yuzu, Isshin and Karin stood just outside Ichigo's room, and they looked surprised to hear Ichigo laugh so much.

…

Soon, the semester started, and Ichigo had to go to school. Of course, this meant he'd have to drag his 'older brother' as well. He had been staying with them for almost a week, and his sisters had already gotten to calling him 'Getsu-nii'.

Currently, he was waiting for Mugetsu to get ready as well. He was just opening his mouth to call him out, when he was interrupted. "Shut up, Ichigo. I'm done," Mugetsu said, climbing down the stairs. Ichigo would have offered him one of his uniforms, but they were surprisingly too small for him, and so had to go shopping with Yuzu. The older teen entitled that day 'the traumatic shopping spree'.

He had on the traditional grey pants and grey jacket, but the jacket was left open and his white shirt had two buttons undone. He had his hair done in a high ponytail, as usual.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing a piece of bread and munching on it.

…

"I-CHII-"

"GOOO-mph!" Ichigo greeted Keigo as usual, the latter running at him to grab him, and the former clotheslining him. Mugetsu raised an eyebrow from behind them. _Did that always happen?_

'**Every single day, kingie,' **the hollow commented.

_You've been surprisingly silent for a while. What happened? _Mugetsu asked.

The hollow, for the first time in Mugetsu's life, hesitated. 'We'll talk about this later, Ichigo. When we're alone,' Tensa Zangetsu spoke up, and with that, they cut off the mental connection.

Deciding he'd worry later, Mugetsu noticed Keigo staring at him.

"Ne Ichigo, who's this guy?" he asked, pointing at him. Mugetsu scowled at kicked him over the head, digging his head in the ground like he usually did to his Dad.

"Don't you know it's rude to point at people?" the black haired male asked, keeping his foot on Keigo's head. He heard muffled apologies and released him.

"He's Mugetsu. Transfer student. Older than us. Lives with me and my family," Ichigo described lazily.

Mugetsu glared at him. "I'm that unimportant, huh?" When Ichigo scoffed, he grabbed him in a headlock and gave him a noogie.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Ichigo surrendered and rubbed his head the moment the older teen released him.

Keigo and Mizuiro watched this occur with confused faces. After a few minutes of them bickering, Ichigo losing, they parted, as Mugetsu headed for his own class.

Behind him, Ichigo's female classmates sighed dreamily. "Kurosaki, was that hunk your brother?" one asked.

"There's no way that cutie would be awful-Kurosaki's relative," another complained. "I mean, Kurosaki's all… blinding orange! And his face is scary!"

Said orange head scowled as a vein throbbed in his head. He turned to glare at the gossiping girls and they cowered and dispersed. In the meanwhile, Keigo was laughing his ass off at Ichigo's predicament, successfully receiving a punch in the face from his embarrassed friend.

…

During lunch, Ichigo asked Mugetsu to join him and his group on the rooftop.

Mugetsu nibbled on the bentou Yuzu made for him, and the others chatted. "Ne Getsu, when are you going to let Inoue braid your hair?" Ichigo teased. Their friends laughed as Orihime got all excited and Mugetsu blushed, mumbling curses at Ichigo as he looked somewhere else.

"About that, why don't you cut your hair, Mugetsu-san? Doesn't it bother you?" Tatsuki asked. Orihime had dragged her along.

Said long haired male frowned. "Actually, I haven't really thought about that. I guess it never really bothered me. Why, do you like short haired guys, Arisawa-san? Maybe, orange haired?" he teased, grinning at her. He knew about Tatsuki's unnoticeable crush on his younger self. He wasn't blind, he just didn't have time to complicate things. He also knew it was not healthy to sacrifice your feelings like that.

Unsurprisingly, Tatsuki and Ichigo blushed. The others laughed and Tatsuki whacked him over the head. "What the Hell! We're just old friends!" they shouted together. Ichigo, despite his and Mugetsu's closeness, didn't want to punch or kick the older teen like that.

Mugetsu rubbed his head, smirking. "Don't worry, Arisawa-san. Your secret is safe with me," he teased further, making their public laugh even harder and the victim pounded her fists in his arm.

For the meanwhile, things had returned to normalcy. For the meanwhile, Mugetsu's dream of regaining his friends seemed reachable.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Alright so, maybe an update of FOA today or tomorrow, if not, updates to both will come Friday, and tehy will always come Friday from now on.**

**Now, I have to attend to mundane duties. Like eating, sleeping etc.**

**See that sexy button? Yes you do, click it! Click it, and Nyan Cat-sama will make the world brighter! (for me) Review!**

**-Datenshii**


	7. The Arrancar Arc: Chapter Six

**O.O... I'm actually alive.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Pshht. *cracks in laughter* Yeah, well. Nothing really new. XD Only we've already entered the second arc. Short, I know, but bear with me. It's gonna be fun :D**

**I'm still waiting to see who's gonna be the 100th reviewer :D:D:D I'm sooo excited, I can't wait to see what ideas you give me to write about! Remember, the 100th reviewer gets a special omake, based on their own idea, which they can send to me in a PM! **

**Also, I've put up a poll on deciding whether it's gonna be IchiRuki, GetsuRuki, or GetsuRukiIchi. I've already decided, but I really want to see what you guys think so scroll up to my name, click and VOTE! :D **

**REVIEWSSSS!:**

**JRZTimeTravel: Thank youuu!**

**Chiharu-san: Thank you. Hope I don't disappoint you with these late updates.**

**Mrs. Kitsune: *mysterious aura* Maybee... Maybe noooot. **

**IchigoMoonCutter: Thank you! Well... I have a few ideas in mind, but I haven't decided yet. Anyway, it's going to be awesome :D -I hope.**

**Kazuki Akira: Thank you! Sorry for not updating faster, then. :(( I know riiight :3 :x!**

**27kirune12: *mysterio-* Ah screw this mystery-thingy. Only thing I have to say is that I'll mindfuck you all. Mniahahah!**

**chessmasterWII: No, there isn't gonna be any yaoi at all. It's only admiration and respect.**

**Iamsomeone22: About the pairings... Nothing's been settled yet. I didn't really say it would be IchiTats. There might always be a twist. I LOVE plot twists! And about the hair cut... *lurks* Hihihihih. Who said anything about a haircut? XD No, really, there's gonna be some interesting things about his hair. I value quality over quantity, so I'm wouldn't keep long hair only because it's sexy :D Thank you for reviewing! *hug***

**deltawaves: And you do know you just wasted time on a worthless, thoughtless comment, right? First of all, it's Nyan-cat, not Nyan-chan, and second of all, I'm not writing for you. Don't like Nyan-cat? Not my problem. It's not like someone forced you to like it or something, geez.**

**Arrival of Tears: Here you go! :)**

**Rate: ****T, ****because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: ****IchiRuki, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime, hints of IchiTats. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

Moonless Sky's Touch

Second Arc - The Arrancars

Chapter Six -Visored

A blond male hovered somewhere above Karakura town, watching a familiar substitute shinigami with a mysterious smirk. The smirk faded when the boy was approached by a few friends, one of which was a tall, black haired male.

"Tch."

He closed his eyes for a moment, scoffing.

…

"What's that look for, Dorky-teeth?"

His eyes flew open and he found himself face to face with the same tall fellow he was watching a moment before. An amazing feat indeed, considering the fact that our blond male was standing upside down, on air.

He stumbled for a second, the water in his bottle flowing down, pulled by gravitation.

Mugetsu watched this with amused eyes. "Seems like you didn't really expect me to pop up over here."

The man shot him a look and furrowed his eyebrows. "Ya know why I'm 'ere. Who are ya?"

"Usually, I would've scolded you for not introducing yourself first, but I'll overlook it this time, Hirako Shinji," our hero said playfully. Shinji stared at him in mild surprise. "I am Mugetsu, and yes, I am a Vizard, too, just like the boy you've been watching so carefully."

Shinji narrowed his eyes. "Wha' does Aizen want?"

Mugetsu sighed. "I'm sure he would've wanted a lot, but, unfortunately, he can't really force people to submit while he's six feet under the ground. Look, I really have no time for this. Aizen is dead, I killed him, Soul Society owes me, I'm a Vizard and I want you to take care of Ichigo's hollow side. Just wait for me at your warehouse tonight, I'll explain more there."

And with that, Shinji was left there, standing with his mouth half-open, trying to process what had just occurred.

…

Ichigo motioned for his friends to walk ahead, and he stood behind, staring with a frown at the sky. Mugetsu told him he had to take care of something and vanished. For the short time the orange-haired boy had known the older teen, Mugetsu had been very distant and mysterious. Despite their new-found close friendship, he knew near to nothing about him. He didn't know if he had a family, he didn't know where he lived, he didn't even know who was the woman he said he loved!

And still, despite the slightly cold shoulder, Ichigo couldn't get himself to be angry at his friend. The way he was there for him when he was weak, and the way his red eyes showed suffering when he looked at his sisters made him want to only comfort him.

Scrunching his nose, he shook his head. He sounded gay. _Maybe I should take up Mugetsu's offer about finding a girl to date. Oyaji's 'predictions' are rubbing off on me._

Closing his eyes and sighing, Ichigo started heading for school. He was already kinda late, and he knew his sensei wasn't that relenting anymore.

…

The door to Ichigo's bedroom opened and closed before you could blink. The orange haired teen jumped at the sound of the door opening and turned to face the intruder, sighing in relief and slumping back the moment he recognized the blank features of Mugetsu.

"Somethin' wrong?" he asked carefully. Mugetsu, who had stopped walking after he closed the door and stared at the ground absently, suddenly looked back up to him, almost as if startled.

He closed his eyes and shook his head, then looked at him once again. "Just me and my old man musings," he joked. Turning more serious he spoke again. "There's something we need to go to and take care of, but before we go, you must promise me two things."

Ichigo scowled in confusion for a second and then nodded in determination. "I'll help with whatever you need me for. Shoot."

For a moment, the black haired male seemed to smile almost bitterly, but quickly hid it. "Well, it really more of your problem but… Anyway, first, I want you to trust me to the very core of your heart. Whatever we're going to do, it's for your own good. I would explain more, but I'd rather Yuzu and Karin not find out so early." Already, Ichigo was staring at him with raised eyebrows, as if not knowing what to make of his explanation, but he nodded nonetheless. "Second, you must swear you won't start having second thoughts on what we're about to do. If you even dare, I'll beat you until you end up sharing Aizen's grave," Mugetsu finished darkly.

The younger teen swallowed heavily as a bead of sweat trickled down his temple and nodded again, this time more fervently. "Fine, Oh-so-mysterious-san. You should know by now that I trust you with my entire being," he retorted half-heartedly.

Mugetsu smirked and ruffled his hair. "You'd better. Alright then, we should get going. There are some people we need to see to get this taken care of." With that, they went downstairs to announce his host family of his and Ichigo's departure.

…

"Is this the place?" Ichigo asked scanning the seemingly abandoned warehouse. Mugetsu only walked further only to stop abruptly. The younger teen raised an eyebrow.

The older Ichigo turned his head halfway to glance at his younger self, sending him a sharp look. "Take two steps back."

He did as told and watched as Mugetsu seemed to touch an invisible wall which blurred like a wave. He could only raise the other eyebrow too as the black haired male raised both arms and got in a stance, the left hand slightly behind with the palm wide open, and the other clenched in a fist. Only to be startled as a black flame made of reiatsu slipped out of the fist, and the older male punched the invisible shield.

Pieces of reishi fell like broken glass and dispersed before they hit ground, but no sound came out of the impact or the shattering. He noticed Mugetsu walking again, with his hands in his pockets and quickly followed.

Suddenly, a breeze flew past his cheek, and his eyes widened as eight unfamiliar faces showed themselves, each one showing a hostile expression.

He realized he was falling on his butt as Mugetsu got in front of him and black reiatsu surrounded the two of them, an unnoticeable hint of killing intent slipping from the older male's body. The eight strangers stopped in their tracks at the sign of one of them and stared at the duo.

"Hirako Shinji. I thought Seireitei academy teaches manners too, if the parents or legal guardians are nonexistent. Seems like I am yet again proven wrong," Mugetsu said calmly, though a hint of venom was present. He certainly did not like his younger self's life threatened in such a cowardly way.

Hiyori seemed to want to lash out at him for that comment, but Kensei successfully held her back. The aforementioned blond took a step closer to him. "I didn' wanna threaten ya, but ya broke our shield. That's not nice."

Ichigo got up as the black reiatsu dispersed and the older male's posture seemed to relax. "Well, I did tell you I would be coming. You shouldn't have put up a barrier only to hold me out. That's not nice either, so I believe we're even," Mugetsu pointed out.

Shinji 'oh'-ed and his expression turned slightly more serious. His eyes flickered to Ichigo. "Does he know anything yet?" he asked vaguely.

"Not yet. But I'm not giving you the 'pleasure' of explaining it to him." At that, Shinji pouted. "Though, you could assist me while I'm story-telling."

Ichigo scowled in confusion and his eyes darted between the two of them. Shinji made a sign to his seven 'friends' and they retreated to the shadows. Mugetsu sighed and crossed his legs, plopping himself on the ground. Shinji did the same, and Ichigo could only follow.

_Here goes nothing,_ Mugetsu urged himself. "Have you been having these times when something took over your common senses and you lost control of your body? Preferably, during fights?" he asked simply, as if asking if he understood yesterday's homework.

Ichigo hesitated, but shook his head when he remembered the promise he made to the older teen. "Yeah. There's been this time when I was fighting Byakuya, just before Aizen's death. I felt like giving up, 'cause my body wouldn't move, and suddenly, I had this ominous feeling in my head. I blacked out, and when I realized what was happening, I was already ripping at some kind of mask, half on my face, while I was still struggling to control my own hand," he explained shamefully.

Shinji glanced at Mugetsu. "Yeah, well, yer not the only one. The only one with sanity issues," the blond said.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow when the black haired teen nodded. "You see, that 'thing' that's trying to take over is a hollow. An inner hollow to be precise." At his explanation, Ichigo's eyes widened in horror. "While it is kinda bad, it's good to know that the hollow formed during the time you were regaining your powers, and you weren't born with hollow powers. With exercise you could learn to control him, and that's why we're here."

The orange haired teen slumped forward, with his head in his hands. While he was slightly relieved to hear he could control this… insanity, he still felt very wary of his own being. "Can't I just get rid of this… this monster?" he asked, a silver of despair present in his voice.

At this, Mugetsu scowled and whacked him over the head, hard. Ichigo stared at his furious expression in shock. "Your inner hollow is not a thing, nor a monster. No matter how harsh this may seem to you, inner hollows are derived from your own being. They're not foreign bacteria. He's only your negative traits. The hatred, the sorrow, the jealousy and the greed you would never reveal. Still, he is a part of you, and you have to accept him," he explained angrily, panting a bit at the end of his mini-speech.

The younger teen only stared at him slack-jawed, and even Shinji looked a bit shocked at his explanation. The exiled shinigami were known throughout their few friends for their hatred of inner hollows, and harsh acceptance. He may have been awakened at his way of thinking.

Slowly, Ichigo nodded. _Mugetsu knows what he's doing. He definitely wants to help me. I would have to be stupid to deny his words. Seems like the only choice I have is to confirm myself._ "Then… if I'm shinigami, but I'm also hollow, what am I, really?"

At this, Mugetsu grinned. "You're a hybrid, just like me and good ol' Shinji. We're called… Visoreds!"

_To be continued…_

* * *

**You know the routine. Read, review, and now vote :P!**

**'Till next time.**

**-Datenshii**


	8. Chapter Seven

**BAAACK. YAY. FoA might be updated tomorrow, Sunday, but, Idk. I'm unpredictable.**

**And the 100th reviewer iiiiiiiiis: K. A. Raith! Wow, that must have been unexpected. The prize is, as I already announced, a special omake, written by me, at your idea. Considering you talents at writing time-travel, I'd rather let you write the omake. You choose. PM me with your answer, please, and the idea/omake.**

**Also, I remind you of the poll on my profile: GetsuRuki, IchiRuki, or GetsuRukiIchi! I already decided, but I really wanted to see your opinion! Please vote, and leave a reason with your review as to why you chose so!**

**Now, the reviews:**

**JRZTimeTravel: I don't think I'll include the 1000th years blood war, but I haven't decided yet. Still, there will be some significant battles, though not all will be related to canon.**

**Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter: Sorry about the shortness! I won't apologize for the cliffie. I LOVE cliffies, mniahahah.**

**Eradona: I love your considerate attitude :X That's what I admire most in your fic.**

**Iamsomeone22: Thank you! And I look forward to developing the mask problem *evil smile***

**Chiharu-san: Thank you thank you thank you! *hug***

**Kazuki Akira: Omgosh. I feel so loved. *sniff* Thank youuu soo much! *bawls***

**K. A. Raith: No, I'm not aiming for a deus ex machina. The Soul Queen issue will be attended to. And about the arrancars... Well, all I have to say is that it's gonna be different, from both the canon and other stories. Or so I hope. And I too, arrived a while before at your story through one of the reviews of this story :)) I just couldn't have left a review at that time, or we would have met sooner.**

**Rate: ****T, ****because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: ****IchiRuki, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime, hints of IchiTats. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

Chapter Seven – Moment of Weakness

One blond Hirako Shinji's eyes followed the hollowed orange-haired teen's movements as he battled Kensei. They had only just begun Ichigo's training, and he was already going full-out. His grey eyes flicked over to the mysterious person that brought the teen to them.

Mugetsu was currently sitting cross-legged, with his arms resting lightly on his legs, and his eyes were closed. He didn't give Ichigo more than a glance as he started the hollowfication, after which he quickly settled.

Shinji frowned when he felt a light sensation coming from the man's body. The black haired being just kept surprising him more and more.

_*Flashback*_

_The blond haired and the orange haired Visoreds watched as their third party raised his right hand and focused. There, a white mask with two parallel black stripes travelling the right and the left side appeared. Ichigo stared with an expression neither awed, nor horrified but something in between. Shinji himself raised an eyebrow._

_As if sensing the raised eyebrow, Mugetsu spoke. "This, is my hollow mask. During to some circumstances, I can no longer wear it. Please don't make me explain, I'm not really sure of what happened either. However, my abilities are still there, but buried." He dematerialized the mask and turned to focus only on Shinji. "Because of that, I'm going to enter my inner world during Ichigo's training. He doesn't need me to be able to defeat his hollow. I trust him."_

_Shinji narrowed his eyes in thought and opened his mouth to comment, but chose not to. _

_*End of Flashback*_

He sighed. _Might as well leave this alone. I don't wanna risk anything. _

…

Mugetsu's deep red eyes flew open. He scanned his surroundings and recognized the sideways skyscrapers of his inner world. He stood and ran across a side of a skyscraper, jumping onto the next. He continued going until he noticed the hooded form of Tensa Zangetsu standing on the very edge of a building.

He called out his partner's name and the Zanpakutou turned to face him, taking his hood off. A somber expression was present on the young face of the spirit.

"What happened?" he asked bluntly. He remembered the hollow's hesitation a week ago, and now this expression of Tensa's… Something must have been seriously wrong.

"Your soul is breaking down," the spirit just as bluntly answered.

Mugetsu scowled in concern. He was definitely expecting some side-effects from the time-travelling, but this was really bad.

"Literally speaking, it is not really breaking down, but what is currently happening could lead to that too." The wielder raised an eyebrow at his partner's explanation, and Tensa turned his back to him. "Come see for yourself."

With that, the transcender walked to the Zanpakutou's side and noticed a skyscraper taller and larger than the others in his inner world. If he estimated right, it was about the size of the Dubai's Burj Khalifa, and he wondered why the Hell had he never noticed it before. Snapping out of his stupor, he noticed lots of broken windows at the base of it and the tip of its roof crumbling.

"That building represents your powers." Mugetsu's eyes widened in horror. "The windows are memories of your abilities. With a few series of broken windows, you lose an ability. It seems that when Hougyoku was trying to reform your world, it already had a hold on the core of your soul. When you ripped him off, his hold on your power center disappeared, but with it so did the peak of the building. And the crumbling started with that."

The black haired man clenched his teeth as his mind raced for a solution.

"At first, it crumbled slower, but it seems than the more time passes, the faster it crumbles. Demonio tried to repair it, but it kept falling apart," he added solemnly.

Red eyes closed tightly and the man clenched his fists, his hands shaking from the pressure. "How long?" his voice came out strained and desperate.

Tensa bowed his head. "Three days."

The shaking stopped. Mugetsu's hands stood motionless, unclenched. He fell on all fours, his black hair falling around his coiled body like a curtain. Tensa's blue eyes flicked over the approaching figure of Demonio del Infierno, and he nodded and then closed his eyes. The hollow scowled and opened his mouth.

Just as he was about to bitch at his King, said man stood, took in a deep breath and faced them with a determined expression. "I'm going to make the best out of these three days!" he yelled.

The Zanpakutou smiled and the hollow scoffed. He was going to do that, and they would support him to do his best.

…

Ichigo stared at his white doppelganger as he dissolved, his Bankai's blade piercing the hollow's stomach. Just as the hollow said his final words, he smirked.

"Don't you worry about that, _partner_. Next time isn't happening," he said. The crazed counterpart's eyes widened, before he grinned crazily and finally disappeared.

Opening his eyes, Ichigo recognized the faces of the eight Visoreds. He grinned as he was collapsing to the ground. As he was trying to lift his head again, a shadow covered his sight.

"Good job, kid. You are granted five minutes of rest as reward," Mugetsu said seriously. He and his younger self stared at each other, the former serious and the latter disbelieving and desperate, before cracking up in laughter. Straightening his face, he spoke again. "How're you feeling?"

Ichigo shifted and cringed. "A bit roughed up, but other than that, fine. I feel like I found freedom."

The older male smiled. "That's good. Well, now we're gonna get you healed, then we can go home. Maybe we can find some leftovers from Yuzu's cooking. Agreed?"

The teen hummed and closed his eyes, smiling in appreciation. "Definitely. I feel like eating a whale."

Mugetsu chuckled and watched his younger self's serene expression with a soft smile. Dying seemed more worth it in that moment.

He absently brushed off the stinging feeling in his chest.

…

The next two days flew by, Mugetsu spending time with Ichigo and his friends in class, and with his family during free time. Ichigo noticed the older teen being much more social and cheerful during these days. He had even accepted Orihime's request of them going over to her place!

So here they were, seated on her couch, together with Tatsuki. The healer had asked Ishida too, but he had declined shyly, with a blush seemingly inexistent to only Orihime. Ichigo stared at Mugetsu, as if trying to pry a hole through his head, to see what was going on in there.

Tatsuki had apparently noticed this, as she broke the ice. "Ne, Orihime. Didn't Getsu promise to let you do his hair?" In reality, he had only promised to let her braid his hair, but despite what protest his older 'brother' wanted to bring, Orihime would have none of it.

The bubbly auburn-haired woman immediately smiled goofily, brought her hands together and jumped, eyes sparkling in delight. "Truly! Mugetsu-san! Would you let me do it now?"

Ten minutes later, Ichigo found himself smirking in amusement at the black haired male's predicament, who was currently stuck on a chair, with an annoyed expression, as Orihime treaded a comb through his long, voluminous hair, not knowing what to start with. Said male threw him a half-hearted glare, to which he stuck out his tongue.

He noticed Tatsuki staring at him in wonder. He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I didn't know you could stick out your tongue," she said, in mock shock. He glared at her and she smirked. "Seriously now, Getsu changed you. You haven't been this lively ever since she died." At this statement, a sad smile stretched her lips. "He did what I couldn't."

Ichigo stared at her in thought. Suddenly, he grinned. "But you were there. That's what's really important, isn't it?" he remarked. Tatsuki threw him a surprised look, before smiling and turning back to watch the tortured Mugetsu, Ichigo not noticing the red tint her cheeks had taken.

Mugetsu had been staring at the ground for a while, seemingly absent. Suddenly, he raised his head. "Inoue? Can you please cut my hair, since you're already working on it? I haven't had a haircut in a long, long while, and I've gotten a little sick of it," he requested.

Ichigo, Tatsuki and Orihime just had to look a little surprised at this. They had gotten used to him having long hair, but apparently, he was the short haired kind of guy. They really had no idea what he might look like with short hair.

"Alrighty! How short?" she replied, going to find a pair of scissors.

"About shoulder length," he answered. After a while, Orihime returned, and settled behind him, taking hold of an ebon lock. Mugetsu's breath hitched in his throat, and he wondered why.

A clank could be heard, and his eyes slid over to Orihime's hands, through the mirror, as they stopped their movements.

"What."

"The."

"Fuck?" Ichigo, Tatsuki and Mugetsu found themselves muttering as they stared shell-shocked, while Orihime… squeaked. Ichigo was too shocked to wince at the sound.

In the healer's gentle hands rested a broken pair of scissors, now looking more like two separate blades, the locks in her other hand untouched.

"Is this for real?" Mugetsu whined –yes, _whined_- as he stared exasperatedly at the God forsaken hair. Or maybe even God blessed.

…

After Orihime had gotten out of her stupor, they decided to overlook the haircut accident and she braided his hair carefully, after which the three each headed for their own homes. Along the way, Ichigo noticed the older teen suddenly stopping. When he turned to look at him, the orange head saw him staring at the river and the sunset casting pink and orange tints all over the sky. With soft eyes, he walked over to Mugetsu's side.

"Feeling sentimental?" he joked.

Mugetsu smiled sadly. "Very." A breeze passed by them and blew his braided hair and the free locks surrounding his face.

Ichigo analyzed his absent expression and sad eyes, and mused over possible reasons of melancholy, when he realized something. "Mugetsu," he called seriously.

Relaxed red eyes turned to regard him. "Hmm?"

"Why are you so… distant?" The older teen's eyes instantly lost their cheerfulness, and he displayed a confused, and maybe even a little fearful, expression. "I know you're getting closer to the other, and Dad, Yuzu and Karin, but there's something off about you. Ever since my fight with the hollow, you haven't even mentioned the afterlife, not the Soul Society, not the shinigami, not even the hollows we fight with every day! If there's something upsetting you, we're not here for nothing, I'm not your friend for nothing."

Mugetsu had a concerned frown on his face as he regarded him with surprised eyes. After his explanation, the black head turned the other way again. Ichigo scowled and clenched his fists in anger.

"Stop closing yourself from us! You taught me to trust you, and through that you saved my life! It's my turn to help you, and I'm not letting this go unless you tell me what's wrong!" he yelled, hurt evident in his voice.

Mugetsu's shoulders tensed. "You… wouldn't understand. You can't help me with this. Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"If you would explain it to me, I would. We will get through it, together," Ichigo said, will not breaking.

What was about to occur, he certainly didn't expect.

Mugetsu turned forcefully, and closed his eyes in concentration. A strangely familiar black sword appeared in his right hand, before being morphing in an even more familiar large, cleaver-like Zanbatou. As his blade changed form, his hair fell to the ground, shortening, losing its black color as it brightened from the roots, and it turned orange.

He stared in shock as his eyes opened, and the red pools softened to a chocolate brown, and he was staring at an older, wiser copy of himself. Tears started rolling down the more mature cheeks, and Mugetsu, now Kurosaki Ichigo, clenched his teeth.

"I… don't want to leave again! I don't want to die!" he whispered, voice trembling. He was about to demand answers, when…

_Thud._

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Next update unknown, as always. I demand you get bored of this soon! XD**

**Read, review, vote! They're love! *sakura petals falling, doves flying about and hitting a telephone post***

**-Datenshii**


	9. Chapter Eight

**Yes, I know I said FoA next, but I had inspiration! I don't think you disagree with an extra chapter, now do you?**

**Also, I hope K. A. Raith will PM me soon, 'cause I want to add the omake sometime soon.**

**The poll will be taken off after the next two chapters! So please, those of you who didn't vote yet, go there and reveal your opinion! Vote!**

**As for the reviews...**

**Kazuki Akira: Your return is not in vain! Here you go!**

**Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter: I know the feeling of having a cliffhanger dropped on your screen. So complain all you want, I don't really mind. And about the new phone thing, awww. That warms my heart.**

**Chiharu-san: Yeah. Sorry about the FoA update T.T I'm gonna try and update soon, but these. Fucking. Ideas. Just. Won't. Come. Dammit.**

**FreeTraderBeowolf: And your wait has been rewarded.**

**lilyrosa143: Lol. Good old memories. Same old Doctor Who.**

**Hatsune Kurosaki: Here you go.**

**27kirune12: Gosh you're close. XD *mysteriou-* God damn that fucking aura! *rips it apart like paper* Just read.**

**Rate: ****T, ****because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: ****IchiRuki, UraYoru, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime, hints of IchiTats. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

Chapter Eight - Orange

_He stared in shock as his eyes opened, and the red pools softened to a chocolate brown, and he was staring at an older, wiser copy of himself. Tears started rolling down the more mature cheeks, and Mugetsu, now Kurosaki Ichigo, clenched his teeth._

_"I… don't want to leave again! I don't want to die!" he whispered, voice trembling. He was about to demand answers, when…_

_Thud._

...

The startled orange haired teen watched in slow motion as his older self's eyes rolled back and he collapsed with a harsh landing. He stood for a few seconds, not really processing what was going on, until he realized the other's predicament.

Ichigo considered going to Urahara's but remembered the older teen's appearance and decided it was best not to, since he couldn't reveal his identity to just anyone. He stood there frozen, not knowing what to do. He clenched his fists over the formerly black haired male's chest and placed his forehead on it, back coiling as he closed his eyes and tried to shake off the agitation.

„How... dare you leave me in the dark...? Wake up! Wake up and explain! Mugetsu!" he yelled in frustration and uncertainty.

„_I don't want to die!"_

That single phrase rung out through his head and shook him. Before he realized, one tear, similar to those that Mugetsu had shed, ran down his own cheek and landed on said man's chest. He clenched his fists, his nails digging in his skin so hard, blood started leaking.

„_Wake up!"_ he screamed, digging his face in the Mugetsu's chest.

As he screamed out his sorrow, a bright light enveloped the both of them.

...

Grey eyes surveyed the tiny device a pair of hands was holding, analyzing each and every corner of it.

„Kisuke!"

Said blond Urahara Kisuke put aside the device he had been working on to turn to answer Yoruichi. „Hai?"

The dark skinned woman appeared in the doorway, leaning casually against said door. „Tessai wants your help with a few things in the shop," she explained nonchalantly.

The scientist pouted in disappointment. „Oh. And here I thought my dear kitty wanted me to _assist her_," he whined. Golden eyes narrowed at him and a smirk plastered itself on her face. She opened her mouth to verbally attack him, only to close it back abruptly and hers and her lover's eyes widened. She shared a startled look with the blond, and he nodded.

„We need to contact Isshin." Was the only thing he told her before she disappeared.

...

Soft black lashes fluttered open to reveal chocolate brown orbs, as they took some time to focus and readjust to the light. The first thing Ichigo noticed was that he was still resting his head on Mugetsu/older Ichigo's chest. He shifted to a sitting position and looked around, trying to spot someone to help him.

Just when he was about to give up, a blonde haired girl came in through a door that he hadn't noticed before. She frowned before she kneeled next to him. „Help me carry him. My mother can cure him." Were her only words before she grabbed one of Mugetsu's arms and put it over her shoulder, before she stood and started walking back to the door. He spent only a moment to raise an eyebrow, before joining her by his other side.

They passed through a long –and that means _really long_- hall, before arriving to a small garden filled with all kinds of plants, over which the sun shone brightly, warming their bodies. In the very center of the garden sat a golden blonde haired woman with kind blue eyes, and dressed in a long, angelical white dress.

„Mother! I have brought him to you. He is in a state worse than expected," the girl carrying Mugetsu spoke, calling out to the other woman. They placed him next to the woman, who frowned at the sight of him.

„My... Charmaine, leave us," the woman spoke calmly, undisturbed. Her daughter nodded and left the room, though not without her gaze lingering on Mugetsu's features for a moment longer.

The woman placed a hand on Mugetsu chest and closed her eyes. After a few minutes of uncomfortable fiddling, Ichigo almost breathed in relief when the blonde opened her eyes. She turned to look at him.

„Please place your hand on his chest. I am going to stabilize his soul, but I need help from you, his younger self, as he seems to be losing the memories of his past life," she requested. He nodded and as soon as he placed his hand on his chest, he felt a light tug at his very being.

A few moments of nothing happening made Ichigo very paranoid, until his older self started screaming in pain and clenching his teeth. The very sound of him screaming until he had no air left made him wince.

He sighed when the screams stopped and closed his eyes to process what had happened up until then. _Smiles… Inoue… Tatsuki… Broken scissors… Distant Mugetsu… Misunderstood intentions? Black, no, orange hair, and brown eyes… Mugetsu crying… Mugetsu isn't Mugetsu. Mugetsu is Kurosaki Ichigo. Mugetsu is me. But how?_ He murmured within his mind, recollecting the memories that most likely caused this occurrence.

"Perhaps, he is one of those… what do the humans call them? Ah, time-travelers," Zangetsu offered helpfully. Ichigo frowned.

_Let's say he's actually me from the future. Why would he come here? And how? And just how much older is he really?_

"The woman that is currently healing him must surely be one of those who know who he really is. You may start from here, and ask her about him. She may even know how he came here."

Ichigo hummed and stared at the ground absently. Just as he was about to ask the mysterious woman anything, a groan could be heard beside him. He turned to see Mugetsu slowly opening his brown eyes.

Mugetsu blinked to shake off the drowsiness. "I… chigo? Where are we…?" he asked weakly, trying to get up.

Ichigo scowled. "I don't know either."

At that phrase, his older self's eyes flew open, and he abruptly sat. He noticed the blond woman next to them and he froze. "You're… the one who brought me here."

The blonde smiled kindly. Ichigo stared slack-jawed.

…

"Come again?" Ichigo asked pathetically. Mugetsu gave no reply, only continued staring at the smiling woman.

"Your friend seems to have a few questions, Kurosaki-san. Pardon me, _Mugetsu_-san," the woman pointed out, quickly correcting herself. Mugetsu frowned in confusion and turned to stare at Ichigo only to notice his head lighter. He grabbed a lock close to his forehead to inspect it, only for his jaw to drop as he recalled the last few events.

_Why is it always about the hair?!_ Mugetsu screamed in exasperation.

The older teen dropped back his arm and sighed tiredly. "Alright, ask away. I do owe you an explanation."

Ichigo took a deep breath and asked himself what to start with. "Are you really from the future?" Mugetsu nodded and he frowned a bit. "So then, how did you really come back?"

Mugetsu turned to look at the woman. "That's something I'd like to know as well. Who are you and why did you bring me back? It's not that I don't appreciate it, really, it's only that each time someone helps me, they usually gain something in exchange."

The woman nodded in understanding. "My name is Erralyn. I am the Soul King's wife, or in other words, the Soul Queen. Your deeds, Kurosaki Ichigo, both past and future self, had saved all four dimensions, and my family as well, so on my daughter's notice, I decided to fulfill your last wish. We certainly are in greater debt, but for now, all I can do is help you build a path again," she explained, bowing.

Mugetsu stared shocked. Ichigo stared even more shocked. Raising their hands to close each other's mouths, they regained their common sense. "I… feel honored. But… what happened to me? My Zanpakutou told me there were three days until I would… die… not two," Mugetsu asked. Ichigo glared at him in disbelief at finding out he was dying, but the older teen waved it off with a look, as if telling him they would discuss later.

"You had forcefully reversed your progress when you called out your Bankai, and then sealed it off, accelerating the deterioration of your power center," Erralyn once again explained. At his questioning gaze, she continued. "I used Ichigo-kun's memories to restore most of your own, but the only way to save you was to forcefully differentiate your existence from Ichigo-kun's.

As you may have learned from human knowledge, when one being goes back in time, there are paradoxes that damage the time flow, as well as the wellbeing of the being and its previous forms. You and Ichigo-kun should have fused when you met, but you did not, and so your existence started fading, since there cannot be two of you."

Mugetsu scowled and processed what was said. Ichigo watched as his eyes widened with understanding, something he didn't quite find yet. "So that means…"

Erralyn smiled. "Yes, Mugetsu-san. You are your own existence now. You don't have to go back to your own timeline. You are now part of this timeline, too."

A smile curled Mugetsu's lips, and it spread until it was a full blown grin. Mugetsu fell on his back and he laughed carelessly. Ichigo watched, not really understanding what he was so happy about, but nonetheless smiling at the other's delight.

Mugetsu quickly composed himself. "So then, what has really changed about me, that I am not Ichigo anymore?" he asked, remembering potential changes in his inner world.

"You have not lost your strength, fret not, but the only way to stabilize your power center was to split it back, like it was before you used _that_ technique. Your Shikai was lost," Mugetsu froze in fear. "But! Your previous Bankai morphed and replaced it. As such, there is a new Bankai you can release. Since you already have the memories of your fights, you don't have to achieve it again. Though you may want to test it and get used to it before you actually use it."

Ichigo grinned. "That means there are things that even all-mighty Mugetsu-sama has to discover," he commented cheekily.

Mugetsu glared. "Shut up or I'll use you as a training dummy."

Erralyn giggled at their exchange but continued. "Also, you have regained your hollow abilities, but your hollow side has also evolved, giving you perhaps, Arrancar-like abilities. I believe they call it Ressurection?"

Mugetsu froze again. Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Arrancar? Ressu-resurrection?" he repeated, not understanding the new terms, and stumbling over the pronunciation.

The older Ichigo grinned. "Demonio del Infierno is all hyped up. I guess in the end, I do need a training partner," he admitted excitedly.

The woman smiled. Ichigo frowned. "Ne, Mugetsu? Or is that really you name? Ah, I don't even know what to call you, now that I know you're actually me!" he complained.

The older teen rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "I guess you should still call me Mugetsu. I've gotten pretty used to it, and we're not really the same anymore. And only because I'm you doesn't mean you can stop treating me like before!" he mock-scolded.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, but nodded nonetheless. "So then, Mugetsu, why did you want to come back? What happened?" he asked carefully.

Mugetsu turned to look at Erralyn, as if asking for approval. She nodded. "You already changed the future. Telling him would not matter anymore."

The transcendental being nodded in understanding and answered. "Rukia ended up going to the Soul Society with the Hougyoku within her. Things went just about the same as here, up until Aizen encountered her. There, he successfully acquired the little bastard, and escaped the Soul Society. Inoue got kidnapped, me, Ishida and Chad, and later Renji and Rukia went to save her and many fights happened. I almost died. And then I really died, and the hollow side resurrected me as a mindless hollow," Ichigo stared in shock.

"I know, I hated myself for a while. Well, I really turned hollow because Inoue got killed. Ishida and Chad also died. I, and a few captains, got stuck in Hueco Mundo, and Aizen went to the Soul Society to claim the souls of the citizens of Karakura Town, which had been moved to the Soul Society to trap Aizen. Many shinigami died, including many captains. By the time I reached the Soul Society with Rukia in tow, Yuzu, Karin and Dad, and many of my classmates had already been killed. Then, I proceeded to fight Aizen and finish the war once and for all," Mugetsu paused in his explanation, as if hesitating.

"He killed R-Rukia. And I couldn't bear it any longer, so I turned all of my wrath and my sorrow upon him, defeating him and saving the world. Then, I had nothing to go back to. And the Soul Queen appeared and sent me back. That's about all, I think."

Ichigo stood and stared, unable to form any words, much less think of what to say. He knew his future self had suffered, but this was too much. He had no idea how the older teen still functioned properly.

Mugetsu seemed to notice this. "You don't have to be sympathetic. I've been through much, but in the end, it was you and my old friends and family who brought happiness back to me," he said, smiling and shrugging.

Ichigo nodded and smiled back. "Wait, then, how old are you really?" he asked curiously.

The older teen narrowed his eyes in thought and scratched his head. "I lost count. I was way past sixteen when I ran to Hueco Mundo, and I spent about nine months in the Dangai, which equals about three real world hours*, plus the few weeks I've spent here… I guess I'm about seventeen and a bit. I should be turning eighteen next summer," Mugetsu mused.

"Whoa. I thought you were five years older or something," Ichigo said, awed. "Average teenagers don't look like you."

Mugetsu scowled. "Are you saying I look old?" he threatened. Ichigo shook his head fervently and the older teen hummed in approval. "I thought so."

"Ano, now that we have all that cleared up, can we go back?" Ichigo asked the blonde.

She nodded. "Of course. Follow me. I'll open a gate directly to the Living World, without dropping you in the middle of the city."

They followed her silently, going over the events of that day.

…

Ichigo took in a deep breath and scanned Karakura Town from his and Mugetsu's place on a high hill.

"Are you going to tell them?" he asked the older male. The other stayed silent for a few seconds.

"I'll tell Yuzu, Karin and Oyaji. The others, such as our friends and the Soul Society, I will inform them later. I'm not in the mood for a full blown interrogation," Mugetsu replied casually.

Ichigo hummed and turned to look at him. Mugetsu smiled at his unasked question. "I know. I have an idea." And with that, he closed his eyes and materialized Tensa Zangetsu, which now had the four prongs of the cross guard extended and also added a black glove on his right hand. Soon, his hair turned black again, but it did not grow back.

"Aw shit," he murmured. "Everyone will notice how similar I am to you."

Ichigo nodded in agreement, but could help the little smile that curved his lips. "This way, we can really say we're brothers," he joked. Mugetsu chuckled, but agreed.

They stood silent for a few more minutes, until Mugetsu broke the ice. "I haven't explained to you about Hueco Mundo and the Arrancar, but I still have to travel over there and make sure a rebellion won't arise, so might as well bring you along. You know what they say, there's no better way of learning than through experiencing it."

Ichigo raised a questioning eyebrow, but nodded. "Let's go. You still have to tell Dad and the girls."

Mugetsu sighed and faced the Town. He smiled. This time, he was definitely there for good.

_To be continued…_

* * *

***Dangai reference: Remember, in this story, Isshin and the girls died in the fake Karakura Town, in the Living World, so Urahara taught Ichigo the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho. Knowing Urahara Kisuke, he must have some kind of device that stops the flow of the Dangai walls. So, since Ichigo had nothing to hold onto - Rukia was with them then- he took more time to train. Also, since he had no hope left, he also had not much will left, so obviously the fight with fused Tensa and Demonio would take longer, since they don't want to kill him.**

**Also, about why the Soul Queen didn't say Final Getsuga Tensho and said "_that _technique", she knows what Mugetsu wishes for, so she knows he doesn't want his younger self to ever know of the technique, much less use it.**

**Next update unknown. Read, review, vote! They're love!**

**-Datenshii**


	10. Chapter Nine

**I'm not even gonna try to list out a series of excuses for which I did not update in a long while. All I can do is apologize. Sooo, sorry.**

**I don't know when I may next update, as I am not feeling well.**

**Right, now, next chapter I am gonna take down the poll and perhaps reveal the results, though there's still a while until I reveal my decision, so vote while you still can.**

**The omake is here, sorry if it's not much... I fail at being a good author...**

**Also, next goal is 300 reviews. Same story, the 300th reviewer gets to have his/her own omake *as long as it has to do with the story and timeline* at the end of the chap or to tell me what to write in an omake. As in, give me a plot.**

**Revieeews...**

**FreeTraderBeowolf: No, no, no. IIRC Tensa Zangetsu is his shikai. Zangetsu, the shikai form was destroyed. His Bankai is yet unknown.**

**Chiharu-san: I will try and update FoA soon, too. I only have about a couple pages left to work on. Thank you for your patience.**

**FireLily16: You have the girls' reaction in this chap.**

**Yuurei no Chu: *hugs back* Thank youuuu!**

**K. A. Raith: I read your story about the time you last updated and I love it! Can't wait to see Kazu in next chappie 3 Kazu FTW As for the hair, he used his reiatsu, which is now similar to black flames, to darken his hair so it's pretty much permanent, for as long as he wishes.**

**Azhaeda: Please, babble on more! *sniff* I love your kind words! *bawl* Thaaaaank yyyyooouuuuuuuuu!**

**Rate: ****T, ****because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: ****IchiRuki, UraYoru, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime, hints of IchiTats. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

Chapter Nine – Recognition

Ichigo tried to suppress the shiver travelling down his spine at the sounds of giggles a pair of girls made the moment they spotted him and Mugetsu.

He gave his older 'brother' a look of disbelief when the black haired male actually smirked and waved at them, with them waving back and giggling more.

"Are you for real?" Ichigo asked him, eyebrow raised.

Mugetsu shrugged. "I'm a man, and I'm young. I have only one lifetime to enjoy. Besides, socializing doesn't mean I'm necessarily eye-raping them. Or are you saying you can't think of anything else when you see a girl? Or perhaps, you're not a man yet?" he teased mercilessly.

At first, the older teen's words actually made sense, but as he continued, Ichigo blushed in both embarrassment and fury. Redder, and redder…

"I _am_ a man!" he screamed in indignation, face as red as a tomato. The pair of girls passing them started giggling harder and he covered his face with his palm.

At the glare he was sent, Mugetsu himself stopped snickering uncontrollably behind his hand, yet his eyes still held an amused glint. "Then prove it."

Ichigo was actually fearful to ask, knowing he might not like it, but did anyway. "What am I supposed to do? Kiss a girl? And no, I'm _not _doing that!" The last part was added when he caught Mugetsu's delighted look.

He chuckled. "If you say so. Well, the least you could do is get a girlfriend."

Ichigo stopped in his tracks and pondered over this. _Can I actually do that? For all I know, all the girls in school are avoiding me like the plague because of my scowl and reputation. Stupid, stupid Ichigo! You just had to be childish and take Mugetsu seriously._

He pointedly ignored the light hum within his mind that disturbingly sounded like a laugh, coming from Zangetsu.

"Do you think yourself capable?" Mugetsu challenged, crossing his arms.

Ichigo scowled, abandoning his thoughts, and growled. "Fine. But this starts tomorrow. It's already late and you've gotta explain to our family."

With that, Ichigo stuck his hands in his pockets and dragged himself ahead of his friend. Mugetsu threw him one last amused glance, and smiled absently. _He said 'our' family…_

…

Yoruichi flash-stepped through the relatively small Karakura Town, Isshin in tow, searching up and down for Ichigo and his trouble-bringing older self. Were it not such dire circumstances, she would've said double Ichigo.

At one point, they stopped on the edge of a high building, trying to think of possible places they could be in. Just as Isshin opened his mouth to say something, their eyes widened as they felt Ichigo's familiar reiatsu.

Arriving at the place they felt him, they could now make out a second spiritual pressure. At first, Isshin thought it was Mugetsu's, but then he remembered his current transcendental state and knew it was impossible to suddenly lose it.

He spotted Ichigo's orange head and tall but still young figure, and a second, taller man with short black hair with him. He turned to look at Yoruichi and saw her giving him a concerned look. "He could be Mugetsu."

"And if he isn't?" he asked.

Yoruichi sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "At least let me go. We wouldn't want your _younger_ son finding out what you are so early."

Isshin frowned but nodded and she disappeared.

"I hope you're right," he whispered.

…

She sneaked close to her target, waiting for the best moment to strike. He turned his head the opposite side, she jumped in a flash-step and raised one of her legs in a kick aimed for the side of his head.

And she got her answer the moment he grabbed her leg and threw her back with such accuracy and strength that she knew had he not been so precise, she might have been in a crater in the ground. All this without turning his head to look at her.

However, the moment he turned his head and she met not red, but brown sharp eyes, she got an even firmer confirmation that this was, in fact, the older Ichigo.

With that, she allowed her reiatsu to relax and hoped Isshin would get the message. Yoruichi studied the two former-M.I.A.s, taking a deep breath and preparing to launch a scolding speech. Ichigo was staring at both her and his older 'brother' in shock and disbelief, eyes wide. Mugetsu was just standing in a relaxed, slouched position, as if already knowing he would be tested and scolded.

She sighed and decided not to chew them on their absence, knowing she would be filled in together with Kisuke by Isshin.

"Go. I'll get back at you for making me worry later," she mock-threatened Mugetsu. He only smirked and nudged Ichigo to get going.

…

"Karin-chan! Could you go buy some groceries for me?" Yuzu said to her sister from the kitchen.

Karin grunted in acknowledgement, grabbed the list from her sister and moved to walk out of the house. Just as she opened the door and was about to walk out, she noticed two males in front of her.

They stood in their positions for a while, Mugetsu having his arm raised to open said door, Ichigo having his mouth opened as if to tell his older 'brother' something and Karin having one leg in the house and one outside, before said girl just retrieved her leg almost robotically and did something neither male would have expected, out of all possible reactions they thought of.

She closed the door as if they'd never been there.

…

After standing there, just staring blankly at the door, for a good couple minutes, Ichigo came to his senses and opened the door to their home, entering.

He immediately headed for the living room, half of his mind planning to find Karin there, half thinking of their explanation and ways to do it. Fortunately, he found his little sister – the older little sister, the _usually_ more down-to-earth one – sitting on the couch, looking a little pale, though she might never admit that.

"Karin-chan?" Yuzu could be heard coming in the living room. "Are you back already…?" She had stopped in her tracks four feet away from the two of them. Mugetsu came in behind him, rubbing the back of his neck. Karin shot him a glance and closed her eyes sighing.

"Man. Next time you give me such a scare, I'm not letting you in again," she muttered.

Yuzu just kept blinking and opening her mouth, then closing it back.

"You might want to sit down for this, Yuzu. Ichigo, go fetch Oyaji. He needs to be here for this, too," Mugetsu said, dragging a chair and sitting on it with his chest on its back.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at how meaningful Mugetsu's last words seemed to be, but nodded nonetheless and disappeared through a door that led to the clinic part of their home.

…

The entire evening, Ichigo, at Mugetsu's urging, told his family about his life as a shinigami and how he had come to meet said black haired life-saver. After which, Mugetsu altered Ichigo's adventure in the Soul Society with the version he had gone through and continued with the Winter War, revealing his identity to their listeners.

After two good minutes of shocked silence, Mugetsu explained his former condition, and how he had traveled back in time.

"So, basically," Karin began. "You're telling me that you're my brother? You lived here for the past three weeks, almost a month, and just now you tell us you're the future version of Ichi-nii?" Mugetsu winced at Karin's hurt voice, but nodded in confirmation.

"Can you prove it?" she demanded.

Mugetsu sighed. "Turning my hair back to orange already made me come close to dying so I wouldn't try it again, though I doubt I could anyway," Ichigo winced too, knowing he was the reason of that little phobia. "But I do know another way to prove it to you."

Karin raised an eyebrow, but understanding came to her eyes. Mugetsu smirked. "When you were in third grade you came home crying to me that the boy you liked said you couldn't play football with him and his friends because you were a girl, so you literally begged me to lend you my pants and t-shirts so that you wouldn't be so feminine anymore." Karin reddened to a point he worried she would pop a blood vessel and buried her head in her lap in embarrassment.

Ichigo snickered at seeing her get so embarrassed, and Isshin raised an eyebrow as he had never heard of this before. "He's Ichigo," came Karin's voice muffled. Even Yuzu was giggling at her.

After that, silence fell within the living room. Ichigo cringed unnoticeably at the deep silence, and looked to his older self.

Mugetsu had a faraway expression, looking past Isshin's head, as if he was in deep thought, but only the almost nonexistent grip his hands had on his thighs proved he was deeply focused on the silence and his family's movements.

Only then he realized how much this meant to Mugetsu. He had explained who he was and how he came to be to his recently-proved father and sisters, who in his own timeline were dead. He was in his family's house, yet his family did not know him as good as a family would. He probably felt he was intruding and that they were not _his_ dad and sisters too.

And with shock, Ichigo came to a revelation. His older self was not afraid of bloodthirsty maniacs or war-mongering god-wannabes or evil spirits.

He was afraid of being rejected by his own family.

_Stupid Getsu,_ he scolded mentally. _Why would they reject you?_ Though, a small part of his mind was afraid, too, of their decision.

"So…" he drawled, wanting to break the ice. "Now what?"

Karin still had her head in her lap, yet he knew all her attention was on their discussion the moment he spoke.

"What do you mean 'now what'?" she said, raising her head.

He felt Mugetsu shift next to him. He hesitated for a second. "What… is Mugetsu gonna do now?"

Karin's eyebrow rose in confusion, but soon understanding dawned on her and a thoughtful expression spread on her face.

"You are Kurosaki Ichigo, are you not?" Isshin asked seriously, directing the question towards Mugetsu.

The man in question shifted again. "Kind of."

"Then you are my son. Time-travel or not, you are born from my blood, official documents be damned. I'm even going to adopt you if I have to," he declared crossing his arms.

"That's right. Getsu-nii is still our brother," Karin said, and Yuzu approved vehemently.

Ichigo let a small smile curl his lips. He knew they were gonna say that. That's the kind of family the Kurosakis are, and Mugetsu should have known this by now.

Said older teen was simply staring stupefied at them, mouth parted. The previous grip of his hands was no more.

Then, a big grin spread across his face and his eyes shone with a light his father fondly recognized as the one he lost when his mother died.

"Thank you…"

…

Sometimes, when he was still a broody fifteen-year-old teenager, yet unrelated with the Soul Society, and when he was still Ichigo, Mugetsu used to watch the sky late at night, when sleep wouldn't catch him.

It was one of the few moments when he was alone and he felt it to the core, yet the only moment when he enjoyed loneliness. It was one of the few moments when he could think about anything and anyone.

And when his eyes caught sight of the bright, bold and majestic full moon, he found himself thinking about a certain someone.

_Damn, I sound like a soap opera actor,_ he thought, grimacing. His hollow, for once, did not comment.

Soon, his thoughts flew back to the porcelain skin, the big, elegant amethyst eyes and the silky ebon hair of his dear Rukia. He wondered, if he would ever feel her love again.

"Feeling melancholic?"

His train of thoughts interrupted, Mugetsu's brown eyes flew to the dark form of his father from his place on a chair next to the window. Once again, he had been caught exactly when he was thinking the deepest. Perhaps it was a good thing too, otherwise, he might turn into a brooder.

"Yeah," he answered, his attention turning back to the dark, starry sky. "Did I really do the good thing, going back in time? Do I really have a place around here?" he suddenly asked.

Isshin did not look surprised in the slightest. "You did the best thing you could have done. You stopped a huge war from ever occurring, thus you protected those you love. Was that not your goal in life?"

"Of course, but…! I…"

The older man walked closer to him and closed his eyes as a breeze of wind hit his face. "But for once in your life, you wished to go back half for yourself, for the first time having a selfish wish, right?"

Mugetsu did not reply anymore, instead bowing his head in shame.

"Silly child. It's not called selfishness if you want your loved ones alive and close to you. Everyone wants and needs love."

Mugetsu bit his lip. "I… saw you die. Right… in front of me. You, and Karin… and Yu… Yuzu… I, couldn't go on, it was over but I…"

The teen did not continue, and the father did not push him, instead, he took him in a hug. Mugetsu relished in the warmth and protection of his father's arms just as he would have done as a small child, and let all his walls down.

And he cried hard, sobbing and hiccupping, in the embrace of his parent, for the first time in a long, long while.

Ichigo watched silently from his place behind a wall, a small, soft smile stuck to his lips.

_To be continued…_

…

OMAKE TIME

"Look! He's the one I told you about!"

"Oh my god, you're right! He's so hoot~."

"Did you talk to him?"

Ichigo shivered again. Mugetsu only walked on, unaffected.

Suddenly, a pair of girls walked up to them, smiling brightly.

"Hi, I'm Yuki! And this is Rena! What are your names?" the black haired one spoke.

Mugetsu smiled charmingly and bowed his head as a greeting. "I am Mugetsu and this is Ichigo," he answered, indicating to Ichigo. Said younger teen shot him an alarmed look.

"Do you live around here?" the brown haired girl, Rena, asked.

"Yeah, actually, we live just around the corner," the older teen once again answered. Ichigo elbowed him.

The two girls giggled. "Can I have your number? Please~?" Yuki requested.

Mugetsu chuckled. "Yeah, do you have anything to write it down on?"

At this point, Ichigo could not take it any longer. "Getsu!" he shouted indignantly.

The girls looked at him surprised. Mugetsu only rose an eyebrow. "Oh, sorry, looks like my companion wants some attention too. Maybe he would like to meet one of you sometime soon?" he said, smirking.

Ichigo sputtered. "N-n-no! Why would I!"

"Well, then, I have a conversation to carry on." And he turned back to the girls. Ichigo clenched his teeth and grabbed his arm and started trying to drag him away.

"I see. I'm sorry to cut this short, girls, but Ichigo does not like to share me too much," Mugetsu said apologetically.

Ichigo blushed in embarrassment and let go of him. The girls laughed. "No, we're sorry. We didn't know you were together," Rena said, giggling.

"No..! Wait..! You-you got the wrong idea!" Ichigo tried to reason.

Mugetsu waved and the girls walked away. He turned to look at Ichigo, and the other was a pile of steaming flesh.

"What? You wanted them to go away."

* * *

**Next update unknown, as always.**

**Read, review, vote! They're love!**

**-Datenshii**


	11. Chapter Ten

**Uneventful chapter is uneventful.** **Sorry, I just had no imagination this chappie :/ **

**THE POOL IS NOW CLOSED!**

**'Should it be Ichigo/Rukia, Mugetsu/Rukia or Mugetsu/Rukia/Ichigo?'**

**1. GetsuRuki - 21 voters _(38%)_**

** - 19 voters _(35%)_**

** - 14 voters _(25%)_**

**These are only your decisions. The winner choice is not necessarily the one I have chosen. I only wished to know your opinion, as it was stated many times before. Last thing to do, is find out what _I _have chosen XD**

**I have been receiving a weak reply from you guys for the last couple of chapters. Not only here, but also on FoA too. Might I be losing some followers because of my late updates? :( I shall try and write some more now, while I'm still on summer break. Else, teachers will abuse me again and then I definitely won't have any time to update.**

**A reminder for those who forgot: My next goal is 300 reviews. The 300th reviewer, just like last time, will get to have their own omake at the end of a chapter (as long as it does not conflict with current plot) or to tell me to write one based on their ideas, etc.**

**As for the revieeews...**

** .9: Pervy Getsu is pervy~! And I love him as such :P Yeah, sorry about Rukia. I love her and I'm miserable that I ain't getting to write her for a while, but when she does come out, man will she have things to say. Thank you for the support! :)**

**blackgetsuga: Wait and you will find out :D**

**zReckoning: According to current development, it is GetsuRuki, but don't trust that so much XD I love plot twists.**

**Azhaeda: *sniff* Thank you :) Mushy moments are mushy. (why the heck do I use this form of saying, anyway? o.o) Dun worry 'bout giggling too much. Life is so... serious nowadays that I'm glad I can make people laugh. And I noted that P.S., too XD**

**Darksknight: Thank you for caring :) I actually feel sad that I couldn't present a much more exciting chapter to you today. And thank you for the support too. Looking forward to seeing more of you around.**

**Mike: And see you will.**

**Yuurei no Chu: Glad to know you like it :D Never expected for this story to get so popular. I'm just a poor teenager with an insane side and with a bit of skill in English *scratches back of head***

**yiggdrasill: Thank you, truly. I'm flattered. As for the question, this story is still young, at least for me. And something young has many, many paths open in front of it. It is flexible, and can morph, evolve and be improved in many ways. To cut short my long-winded explanation, any pairing is possible right now. And I love all and any pairings, so long as they have a story behind them -translation: no crack pairings.**

**27kirune12: I might not be able to please everyone :D**

**BadGirlxD: Glad to know you do, 'cause there's gonna be lots of bro-time XD**

**ultima-owner: I really put thought into it, so thank you :D**

**daloo92: Sorry for the late update! Gomenasai! But please do try to enjoy it. It's a little short... *bawls* And... And ab-about the summary, it-it shall be do-done.*sniff***

**K. A. Raith: I was going to say I could wait for you to catch up, but then my readers would kill me, so... sorry :'D Oh, don't I know that feeling. *rolls eyes at cast room* These people just won't follow script. I swear, they're trying to drive me insane! As if I'm not insane enough already... Having a fictionary cast room in my head...**

**Glad I managed to get the omake right :) And I'm looking forward to more Kazu. I haven't gotten my Kazuha dose this month yet XD *wink wink***

**Rate: ****T, ****because of Ichi's potty mouth and incoming violence. Hints of lemon, though I won't write such.**

**Pairings: ****IchiRuki, UraYoru, onesided RenRuki, onesided IchiHime, hints of IchiTats. Others will be revealed in time.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach not mine. Full-stop.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

_Recap of all previous chapters..._

_After he defeated Aizen, Kurosaki Ichigo had his wish fulfilled by the Spirit Queen and got sent back in time, where he encountered all of his formerly-dead loved ones, as well as his younger, past-self. Having kept his powers, he saved Rukia and his past-self before she entered the Senkaimon and the newly-dubbed Mugetsu requested of Urahara Kisuke to remove the Hougyoku from Rukia's soul. Ichigo, the younger one, got trained by his unknown older self. Mugetsu destroyed the Hougyoku, and devising a plan, he sent Rukia back to the Soul Society so that Aizen would reveal himself again. We found out that Kisuke and Shihouin Yoruichi knew about Mugetsu's real identity, and the Goddess of Flash consoled her godson as he decided to close old wounds and accept his current life. _

_Getting Ichimaru Gin to defect from Aizen's side early, Mugetsu let his friends fight their own battles as he removed of the Ninth Division taichou, thus leaving Aizen alone the moment they faced eachother in battle. Without much effort, Mugetsu killed Aizen and took his body to bury it. He got acknowledged by the Gotei 13 as Soul Society's savior, and shared meaningful farewells with Rukia. Ichigo invited his older self to live with him and his family. The two grew close, sharing a bond of respect and brotherly love. Mugetsu got reacquainted with his family and friends and adopted a relaxed lifestyle of the common Human. _

_Shinji encountered the older Ichigo while watching over the younger Visored, and the black-haired male ended up taking his younger self to the Visored, thus giving him the necessary training and managing to get the teen to accept his Inner Hollow. In the meanwhile, Mugetsu found out that because of the Hougyoku and his time-travelling, his soul was breaking down and he was dying. _

_After much arguing, Ichigo ended up finding out his 'brother's real identity. Mugetsu collapsed, but the Soul Princess came to their aid and brought them to her mother. The Soul Queen healed Mugetsu and he gained his own, stand-alone existence, and Mugetsu told the story of his life to Ichigo. Upon their comeback to Karakura, Mugetsu ended up with short hair again and they were 'welcomed' by Yoruichi. The two explained Mugetsu's identity to their family, and the three accepted Mugetsu fully into their family as the oldest, now adoptive, brother. During the night, while he was watching the starry night sky, Mugetsu talked to his father and finally let his walls down and allowed himself to be a child again, despite the burden he carried, and he cried in his father's embrace._

_..._

Chapter Ten - Visitor

The blue, blue sky greeted a pair of chocolate-brown eyes as Ichigo woke in an endless field of healthy green grass. He stood and looked around him. Seeing nothing and having an unusual feeling of carelessness and relaxation, he let his eyes close again as a soft, cool breeze hit him and blew his orange tresses.

"Onii-chan!"

He turned and opened his eyes to see Yuzu waving at him from her place on the grass, next to Karin, Dad and Getsu.

"Ichi-nii, quit your day-dreaming and come over here, or we'll start eating without you." It was Karin this time, though she strangely had a small smile on her lips.

He ran to them and sat next to Getsu. Yuzu handed him a plate with a sandwich on it and he accepted it with a 'Thanks.'. Ichigo took a bite out of the sandwich and began munching on it. Soon, a feeling of satisfaction spread through him and he hummed in appreciation.

"Where are we?" he asked absently.

"Don't play dumb, you're not getting out of this."

His eyes widened and suddenly the calm field and his family were no more. Instead, he found himself sitting in a school chair, dressed in his uniform. In front of him was Getsu, smirking.

"Don't worry; your current option will be coming back soon. Four more and you can go home," Mugetsu said with an amused tone.

"Huh…?"

"She's a fine one. A little over the top, but you seem to get along quickly! You know her, so there's no awkwardness."

"Eh?!"

"Mugetsu-san! Ichigo-kun! I am baaack~!"

"Great! I just handed Ichi one of your delicacies, so he can tell you how it tastes," Mugetsu replied.

One buxom Matsumoto Rangiku came into view, dressed in their schools uniform as well. Ichigo could only stare in confusion.

"So, Ichigo-kun, how is it? Do you like it?" she asked excitedly.

He raised his eyebrows and looked down to see he was still holding the plate with the sandwich, only there was a reed paste dropping from it now, as well as… were those pickles and bananas?

His face suddenly went green and he dropped the plate. Matsumoto-san pouted and Getsu frowned. "I told you he wouldn't like it!" she whined.

Getsu waved dismissively. "Don't worry. There are _other things_ you can please him at," he said, smirking.

A golden bulb seemed to light on the top of the woman's head and she grinned.

"I~chi~go…"

And she launched herself at him, chest first.

"-KUN~!"

With that, Ichigo fell out of his chair, his head between the woman's breasts. He felt his lungs screaming for oxygen, yet he found himself helpless in the scary darkness.

_-go…_

Exhaustion filled his being and his hands went limp.

_-chigo…_

Coldness engulfed him. Cold… Such an ordinary thing, yet so scary at the moment.

_Ichigo…_

Too bad he was too… empty to care…

"_Ichigo…!"_

Was someone calling him? Maybe they needed his help. But, he couldn't move.

"_Ichigo!"_

A small ball of light danced within his vision. He reached out to it. It was warm…

"_Kurosaki-kun."_

His eyes flew open and bright colors exploded, forming the familiar sight of his bedroom.

"Ichigo! Geez, you finally woke up. You sleep like a goddamned lug!"

There was also Getsu, face-to-face with him. Only he was upside… down?

Ichigo screamed and with sudden stamina he leaped out of his bed, only to end up on the cold concrete. Getsu was standing, having taken a step back so as to avoid the projectile which was a startled little brother. That meant he was the one with his head hanging on the edge of the bed…

Ichigo sat and rubbed the back of his neck, which hurt like a bitch, more from his sleep position, part from his 'graceful' launch.

Getsu sighed. "Go wash yourself and get dressed. We'll be late because of you. Also, don't forget to dress nicely. We're going girlfriend hunting today!" he said, finishing with a smirk.

Ichigo groaned and fell back on the floor in annoyance. After Getsu went down to have breakfast, in the empty silence, he couldn't help but think.

_For a moment there, I heard someone calling me, and last time I checked, Getsu is _not _a woman._

…

Ichigo closed his eyes in irritation as all the chattering in the hall stopped the moment he and Getsu stepped in. _I knew this was going to happen. Damn you, Getsu. You attract too much attention,_ he thought, glaring at his older adoptive brother.

Almost as if he could hear his thoughts, Getsu smirked and stuck his tongue at him. Big mistake.

"KYAAAA~!"

"So cuuuute…"

"Mugetsu-samaaaa~!"

At this point, even his older brother grimaced.

Ichigo panicked, grabbed his arm and ran towards his class, dragging Getsu behind him.

"That'll bruise," he murmured. Ichigo reddened in fury. For a moment, his little brother seemed to spit flames. "Chill. Things are gonna calm in a few days, don't worry."

"Screw your 'don't worry'! Your fangirls are gonna end up skinning me alive if I spend so much time with you!" Ichigo whisper-yelled.

Getsu rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault you have no delicacy. I was lucky enough to get it beaten into me before I came back*. But you'll get the hang of it, soon. It's like eat or be eaten."

Ichigo paled. "I can't eat a girl!"

To his horror, his older brother grinned. "Or so you think."

He went beet red the moment he realized what Getsu implied. "Go to Hell!"

"Been there, killed them. I even destroyed half of it."**

Ichigo only sighed and sat in his desk as his tormentor left for his own class.

…

Mugetsu was attending class and drowning in boredom. Yeah, at first it was harder catching up with the material, since he barely finished last semester, but now that he got it, it was really easy. That, and he had no friends in his new class. He knew some kids, after they came to him and they got acquainted, but it wasn't the same as it was with his old classmates.

That being said, the black-haired male was currently watching looking through the window, watching people do their everyday stuff, like running to jobs and arguing in the traffic.

He sighed. He was getting pretty restless. A lot of time passed since he last fought or even sparred. His body was not used to everyday life, not ever since the Winter War. None of his shinigami friends came to visit since they left the Soul Society and common hollows were not even close to a challenge for him.

Mugetsu mentally smirked when he remembered how he tortured his little brother to have fun. He knew how shy he used to be when he was sixteen and had a blast using that against Ichigo. Though, it was more of making his little brother more aware of the things that passed by him. Seriously, in this day and age, to be seventeen and have yet to kiss a girl was blasphemy.

Thinking of it brought his train of thoughts to the love of his life. It pained him how she hadn't come to visit not even for Ichigo's sake, yet he couldn't stop thinking about her and her porcelain features.

Just as his frown deepened, he was brought back to reality by a shift in spiritual pressures. His eyes flew back to the window and he saw the shinigami assigned to Karakura, Imoyama-san***, fighting a person clad in white garbs, with a head full of blue hair.

Wait… Blue hair?

_Grimmjow!_ He thought and a grin split his face in two. His gaze shot back to the clock and he saw that it was close to break. _Hang on, Imoyama-san._

The ring of the bell and the teacher's leave brought his grin back in place as he shot out of class and headed to Ichigo's.

…

Ichigo was just as bored as his elder brother as he stretched after the teacher made them bow and headed to the door. Suddenly, his calm was disturbed as the door flew open and revealed the black hair of Getsu. His eyes widened and he gulped. _He's coming for me! He's gonna make me eat Rangiku-san's sandwiches,_ he mentally wailed as his mind alarm was on.

"Ah, Ochi-sensei! Good afternoon," Getsu bowed to the teacher.

The teacher nodded back to him. "Good afternoon."

"My name is Kurosaki Mugetsu, ma'am. Ichigo's adoptive brother. Something came up and Ichigo might not be coming to school for the next few days. I have come to speak for him as our father only announced me."

Ochi-sensei's face scrunched up and her eyes watered comically as she put a hand on Getsu's shoulder. "Finally, someone who speaks for Kurosaki's absences before they happen!" she said. "Just make sure to tell your father to call me about this."

Getsu thanked her and bowed again as the teacher left.

In her wake, though…

"Mugetsu-san…"

"…Is Ichigo's brother?!"

The entire class shouted in shock and the Kurosaki brothers cringed. Getsu cracked a smirk. "Well, I'll be taking my little brother now."

Ichigo was glad he already packed his stuff and had his hand on his bag the moment Getsu grabbed him and dragged him out.

…

In a few minutes, they were out of the school too, yet Getsu didn't stop. Instead, he started flash-stepping.

"Mugetsu!" Ichigo complained hotly. His older brother finally stopped. "Where are we going? Why am I going to be missing?"

Getsu smirked, and his smirk was sadistic and slightly insane. Kind of like Ichigo's Inner Hollow. Ichigo shivered. "We are going to meet up with an old enemy of mine, though he doesn't know me yet. After that, we are gonna head to Hueco Mundo."

They reached a deserted part of a park, and they left their body and gigai in some bushes. When they were about to reach Grimmjow, Getsu stopped his brother by putting a hand on his shoulder.

Ichigo looked at him questioningly. "Listen, before we meet him, I must confirm this. You trust me completely, right?" his older brother asked him.

The younger male shot him an incredulous look. "Of course! What kinda question is that?"

Getsu let out an amused puff of breath, before his face took a serious expression. "This man is very dangerous. He punched Rukia in the gut to make me attack him, he repaid his debt to Inoue after she healed his missing limb by taking her to heal me from a close brush with death, only to fight me again and he didn't succumb to anyone's orders, not even Aizen's."

Ichigo swallowed but nodded firmly, a sign that he was acknowledging what Mugetsu was telling him.

"Good. Keep that in mind. You'll need it later."

With that, they flash-stepped towards the heavy reiatsu ahead of them.

…

"Where're your guts now, wimp?" Grimmjow said uncaringly. If his opponent wasn't strong and didn't fight back anymore, it wasn't interesting anymore. And so, scoffing, he threw away the man he held in a vice grip by the neck, expecting him to crash in a building.

"Now, where's that bastard everyone's talking about?"

"Looking for someone?"

Grimmjow turned to see an orange-haired shinigami standing on the building next to him. "Are you strong, shinigami?"

"Only one way to find out," Ichigo said, smirking and unsheathing Zangetsu.

Grimmjow grinned. At least this one's got balls.

_To be continued…_

* * *

***By beaten he meant he suffered for all the times he was oblivious to other people's feelings, 'cause in the end he lost them all and what he ever wanted to do ended up lost in the flow of things.**

****Decided to include the Hell Verse, 'cause it's too damn cool. XD Sorry.**

*****Kurumadani Zennosuke, the shinigami assigned to Karakura Town in Rukia's place. She and Ichigo gave him this nickname because of his hard name and Ichigo's difficulty in memorizing faces.**

**Also, for those who are up to date with the manga, no, I am not including the Quincy War anymore. Everything that happened in these last chapters just made one half of all the stories in the Bleach category AU, so I'm not gonna stress out with trying to fix things to make sense for that too. I'll see about some filler arcs, 'cause they are possible at this point in the story (excluding the Gotei 13 invasion and Bount arcs). Some movie shit, maybe. Dunnoo. I'm pretty mindfucked because of the manga now.**

**Long recap was long. Damn, I couldn't fit all the perviness there too *pouts***

**Grimm-kitty! *suffocates Grimmjow in a hug***

**So yeah, please do leave your opinion on this chapter and the current plot and char development. Things are about to change pace. Questions are allowed and encouraged.**

**Read and review! They keep me going.**

**-Datenshii**


End file.
